CASE STUDY HOUSE #26
DESIGNED BY BEVERLEY (DAVID) THORNE
San Rafael, California
6 Guests / 3 Beds / 2 Baths
From $850 / Night
ARCHITECTURE
Case Study House #26 was built in San Rafael (near San Francisco) in 1962, on a design by Beverley Thorne. Intended as the residence of Bethlehem Steel CEO Harrison Fuller, after his death, a TWA pilot/flight attendant couple lived in this home until it was sold in 2015.
The design is based on a simple concept: A shoebox comprised of 8 identical bays, steel-framed and covered with a flat roof. The social spaces are accentuated by a double height space, whose dramatic roof follows the slope of the lot. Using a steel structure allowed the ultimate indoor/outdoor living experience: All typical exterior walls are fully glazed; also allowing panoramic views over the nearby State Park and golf course.
PEOPLE
Beverley (David) Thorne (1924 - 2017) liked the challenge to design houses for hillsides, typically shunned by regular developers. His preferred medium was steel. It allowed him large spans, boldly cantilevered structures, while reducing earthwork and number of foundations to the absolute minimum.
He himself helped welding the steel members for Case Study House, which is his only Case Study House project.
A graduate of UC Berkeley, David Thorne gained early fame for his spectacular 1954 Oakland home for jazz musician Dave Brubeck. Working later under his given name Beverley and out of the limelight of architecture circles, he completed more than 100 homes throughout California and Hawaii, where he spent his last years. He was the last living architect of the Case Study House program.
PLACE
Case Study House #26 is in a quiet residential neighborhood in San Rafael - close to beach, state park and public golf course. The house is set back from the street offering full privacy.
