AKA: Bass, Saul House, Altadena, CA

Structure Type: built works - dwellings - houses

Designers: Buff, Straub, and Hensman, Architects (firm); Eckbo, Dean and Williams, Landscape Architects (firm); Conrad Buff III (architect); Francis Dean (landscape architect); Garrett Eckbo (landscape architect); Donald Charles Hensman (architect); Calvin Chester Straub (architect); Edward Augustus Williams (landscape architect)

Dates: constructed 1958

1 story, total floor area: 2,200 sq. ft.

2275 North Santa Rosa Avenue
Altadena, CA 91001-2944

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The Bass House had a U-shaped plan, shaped around the carport and a central courtyard. One side of the U was occupied by a work room and the master bedroom; the other side wing contained 2 more bedrooms, the kitchen and an adjoined family room. A deck led off the family room. The middle of the U contained a large living/dining space highlighted by a round hearth. The landscape plan--by Eckbo, Dean and Williams--was carefully integrated with the interior configuration to maximize the number of outdoor living areas.

Designed for the noted graphic designer, Saul Bass, on a wooded lot in Altadena, CA; Bass worked closely with the architects on the design of his house and even produced a ceramic tile screen for the entryway that he called "Bass Relief." in 2002, the house had been for sale for some time and was in a state of mild dilapidation; the Bass House possessed 2,220 square feet of enclosed space and cost $35,000, excluding supplier subsidies.

PCAD id: 729