Saul Bass, Case Study House #20 - by Buff, Straub and Hensman

The house was built of factory-produced stressed skin panels and plywood vaults so novel that they confounded city building officials. Despite thorough engineering calculations, the architects were not awarded a building permit until a sample plywood vault had been temporarily erected and loaded with weights. The Bass House integrates indoor/outdoor space to achieve a level of sophistication not seen in other Case Study Houses. Its open plan introduced the concept of zoning: the owner's zone with studio office, garden, master bedroom & bath; a formal zone with living and dining rooms and entry atrium; a family zone with kitchen, family room, dining terrace, two additional bedrooms and swimming pool.