Case Study House #20 was completed in 1958 by Buff, Straub & Hensman for legendary graphic designer Saul Bass and his wife Dr. Ruth Bass, a biochemist. Bass, creator of iconic film title sequences for Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and Psycho, worked closely with the architects to design a home that reflected his preference for sculptural, organic forms. The 2,200-square-foot residence sits on Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane, a corridor lined with decorated Deodar cedars that had long attracted creative professionals to the unincorporated community north of Pasadena.
The single-story post-and-beam wood structure is organized in a U-shape around a central courtyard and carport, with one arm containing the master bedroom and studio, another holding two bedrooms and family spaces, and the base featuring a large living and dining area. A prefabricated plywood barrel vault spans the living space, providing both sculptural ceiling form and generous natural light through this radical structural innovation. The roof system combines these barrel vaults with flat stressed-skin panels and 12-inch hollow box beams, all prefabricated in Berkeley from Douglas fir plywood and shipped south as an early experiment in modular construction.
