Case Study House No. 28: A Mid-Century Masterpiece by Buff and Hensman

Introduction

Among the most influential housing experiments of the 20th century, the Case Study House Program introduced the world to a new language of American residential architecture—one driven by post-war needs, technological advancement, and a desire for accessible modernism. Case Study House No. 28, designed by renowned architects Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman and completed in 1966, marks the final single-family home constructed under this historic initiative. Located in the suburban hills of Thousand Oaks, California, CSH #28 is a masterclass in mid-century residential design, notable not only for its architectural elegance but also for its forward-thinking construction techniques and material choices.

Historical Context: The Case Study House Program Expands

Initiated in 1945 by Arts & Architecture magazine, the Case Study House Program aimed to develop affordable, easily replicable homes using modern materials and design strategies. Most earlier Case Study Houses were sited in or near metropolitan Los Angeles, embracing steel and glass as signifiers of progress. However, by the mid-1960s, the program’s focus began to reflect the evolution of American suburbia. Case Study House No. 28, built in 1965–1966, emerged from this shift, situated in Ventura County’s rapidly urbanizing community of Thousand Oaks.

Its creation was driven not only by architectural vision but also by commercial interests. Sponsored by the Janss Development Corporation and Pacific Clay Products, the house was intended to showcase face brick as a viable and aesthetically pleasing building material for modern homes—challenging the dominant narrative of steel-and-glass construction while aligning with the practical concerns of fire resistance, thermal efficiency, and marketability in suburban California.

Design Principles: Buff and Hensman’s Residential Theory in Practice

Integration of Interior and Exterior Space

One of the guiding philosophies in modernist architecture—and a Buff and Hensman signature—is the erasure of boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Through floor-to-ceiling glass panels, open-plan layouts, and direct access to nature-infused courtyards, CSH #28 opens itself to light, air, and landscape. This spatial generosity fosters natural ventilation while creating dynamic visual connections from room to room and from room to garden—an approach that continues to influence contemporary design.

The Courtyard as a Spatial Anchor

The layout of Case Study House No. 28 centers around a large semi-private courtyard. Unlike the rigid privacy or hyper-exposed openness seen in some modern homes, the courtyard offers a nuanced blend—providing refuge without isolation. Shaded patios and glazed walkways encircle the space, while a modest central pool introduces tranquility and microclimate regulation without dominating the composition.

Single-Level Openness

Spanning nearly 5,000 square feet on a single level, the plan of CSH #28 integrates open communal zones with discrete private areas. Public spaces like the kitchen, living, and dining rooms flow into the courtyard, while bedrooms and ancillary rooms are withdrawn, offering visual and acoustic privacy. This spatial choreography created a template for user-friendly living—efficient, elegant, and emotionally calming.

Structural Approach and Material Innovation

Hybrid Framing: Steel Concealed in Brick

In contrast to earlier Case Study homes, which flaunted exposed steel and minimalist detailing, No. 28 uses a steel structural frame cloaked in face brick. This hybrid method bridges modernism’s craving for structural clarity with the warmer, tactile aesthetics of traditional masonry. The brick not only enhances thermal mass and fire resistance—critical in California’s fire-prone environment—but also better communicated a sense of permanence to suburban buyers inundated with timber-framed alternatives.

Glazing and Transparency

Key elevations are defined by extensive glazing, often uninterrupted floor-to-ceiling glass walls. These allow for passive solar gain, natural lighting, and omnidirectional views into the landscaped courtyard or distant hillside terrain. Overhangs, clerestories, and patios mitigate excess solar exposure and create layered transparency throughout the interior environment.

Brick as a Modernist Material

While traditional in perception, the brickwork in CSH #28 was employed with a rigor and precision typically reserved for steel detailing. Buff and Hensman carefully modulated façade rhythm and textural variation, achieving both structural integrity and visual warmth. It was a persuasive demonstration that modernism was as much about compatibility as contrast—that durable materials could serve new forms.

Notable Features and Spatial Composition

Understated Luxury: The Courtyard Pool

Far from a showy centerpiece, the pool at CSH #28 is a subtle inclusion—more reflective pond than party attraction. Its presence functions spatially and environmentally, reflecting light and cooling its surroundings, while minimizing visual distraction from the lush, garden-style landscape that surrounds it.

Tactical Shading and Year-Round Use

Deep overhangs and the strategic orientation of shaded patios across the internal courtyard provide effective solar shading and expand the home’s usability throughout the seasons. These areas extend the living space beyond physical walls, a concept particularly resonant in the mild climate of coastal Southern California.

Spatial Balance: Community and Seclusion

The floor plan deftly navigates the dual needs of domestic life: togetherness and solitude. Common areas unite family and guests, while private wings and enclosed volumes offer seclusion without total disconnection. This design foresight—so responsive to the lived experience—demonstrates why Buff and Hensman continue to be celebrated not just as architects, but as residential thinkers.

Comparative Context: Legacy and Influence

Within North America

Case Study House No. 28 represents a divergence from the metal-and-glass expressionism seen in earlier works like Pierre Koenig’s CSH #21 and #22. By adopting masonry as a primary enclosure material, it signaled a new direction—one more adaptable to mainstream suburban development, where familiarity and durability held sway over radical expression. Its success can be seen in later custom homes across Southern California and the Pacific Northwest, where brick was used to modern ends.

International Parallels

While the Case Study House Program was uniquely American, its values of open planning, minimal ornamentation, modular detail, and environmental sensitivity had comparables in European and Australian contexts. In Australia, the post-war work of architects like Robin Boyd and Harry Seidler translated similar modernist principles into local conditions. Seidler’s use of precast concrete and open courtyards echoed the program’s ideals, while Boyd’s emphasis on blending landscape and dwelling paralleled Buff and Hensman’s spatial approach in No. 28.

Preservation and Continuing Relevance

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Case Study House No. 28 remains a living specimen of residential architecture at its most thoughtful. It garners interest from preservationists, design institutions, and private collectors alike, serving as a resource for understanding how architectural intent, market conditions, and lifestyle realities can converge within a single dwelling.

Summary Table: Key Specifications

Conclusion and Practical Takeaways

Case Study House No. 28 offers valuable lessons to architects, builders, and homeowners navigating the delicate balance between aesthetics, functionality, and contextual appropriateness. It demonstrates how modernist principles need not be rigid nor minimal to be successful—rather, they can evolve through vernacular materiality, climatic responsiveness, and spatial psychology.

For today’s practitioners and design-minded homeowners, consider the following practical applications:

• Balance Transparency and Privacy: Use glazing to absorb natural light, but frame it around courtyards or shaded landscaping to avoid compromising domestic privacy.
• Integrate Outdoor Space Early: Design the landscape in tandem with the floor plan—structures like CSH #28 illustrate that landscape and architecture are inseparable.
• Consider Material Hybridity: Traditional materials like brick can add economy, character, and sustainability to modern forms if used with architectural discipline.
• Design for Suburban Adaptation: Translate custom, high-design elements into repeatable patterns or developer-friendly modules to broaden design influence in real housing markets.

More than a museum piece, Case Study House No. 28 continues to inspire not through spectacle, but through substance. It is an enduring template for residential architecture that is humane, efficient, and deeply connected to its environment.