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{{Short description|American architectural firm}}
'''Buff, Straub, and Hensman''' was an influential ] based ] firm which left a lasting impact on both ] and modern residential architecture. The firm flourished from 1956 through 1961, and was instrumental in the development of mid-century modern architecture, particularly the "post-and-beam style" of residential architecture characterized by a strong horizontal planes, exposed structural members and a blurring of the distinction between indoors and outdoors.
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{{One source|August 2009
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{{More citations needed|date=October 2019}}
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'''Buff, Straub and Hensman''' is an ] firm. The office has won more than 30 awards for house designs from the ]. The firm was known as Buff and Hensman when Cal Straub moved to Arizona and later Buff, Smith and Hensman when Dennis Smith bought the practice after Don Hensman's retirement.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.buffsmithandhensman.com/The%20Firm/dennissmith.html |title=Dennis Smith |access-date=2015-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702002450/http://www.buffsmithandhensman.com/The%20Firm/dennissmith.html |archive-date=2015-07-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


⚫ ==Partners==
The office won more than 30 awards for house designs from the ], and each were honored as Fellows (FAIA) by the same. Many of their designs, secluded homes for wealthy private clients, have enjoyed a new life in recent years with the recent conservancy movement for mid-century design.


⚫ The partnership, originally Buff, Straub, and Hensman, consisted of Conrad Buff III, Calvin Straub, and Donald (Don) Hensman, all of whom were ] (AIA)-affiliated, licensed architects.
⚫ ==The Partners==


⚫ '''Conrad Buff III''' FAIA (August 5, 1926 - October 10, 1988) was born in ], California, to the creators of children's books ]. His father Conrad Buff II was also a painter of the American southwest. Family acquaintances included ], ] and opera singer ]; redesigning the Buff II garage was one of Neutra's first architectural commissions. Buff III attended local Eagle Rock schools. He graduated from U.S.C. School of Architecture in 1952. For ten years Buff was a faculty member of USC contributing design curriculum. Conrad served in the Navy in World War II at a base in Maryland, which was where he met his wife Elizabeth (Libby), a skipper's yeoman in the WAVES; film editor ] is their son. After the War, Conrad decided to enroll at ], where he met Donald Hensman, who had also returned from the War.
⚫ The partnership consisted of Conrad Buff III, Calvin Straub, and Donald (Don) Hensman, all of whom were ] (AIA) licensed architects.


⚫ '''Donald C. Hensman''' FAIA (1924, Omaha, Nebraska - 2002) grew up in ], ]. He served in the navy during World War II, as a parachute rigger in the South Pacific, and entered the ] architecture program by way of the GI Bill. It was at USC that Hensman met Conrad Buff. But prior to their collaboration with Straub, Buff and Hensman were designers of tract homes for a number of regional developers. He returned to teach architecture at his alma mater, USC from 1952 to 1963. He was eventually made assistant professor within USC's design curriculum and was chairman of the joint USC/American Institute of Architects education committee. Hensman remained active in the ] architectural community until his death in 2002.
⚫ '''Conrad Buff III''' FAIA (August 5, 1926, Eagle Rock, California - 1989) was a graduate of U.S.C. School of Architecture in 1952. For ten years Buff was a faculty member of USC contributing design curriculum. He was the son of the noted painter of the American southwest, Conrad Buff II, and both parents collaborated on very successful children's books. She wrote the stories and he illustrated them. Conrad III attended local Eagle Rocks school, and as he was growing up, the house was filled with art, culture and conversation. Family acquaintances included ], ] and opera singer ]. Redesigning the Buff II garage was one of Neutra's first architectural commissions. Conrad served in the Navy in WWII at a base in Maryland, which was where he met his wife Elizabeth (Libby), a skipper's yeoman in the WAVES. After the War, Conrad new he wanted to be an architect and decided to enroll at USC School of Architecture, where he met Donald Hensman, who had also returned from the War.


⚫ ''']''' FAIA (1920–1998) was born in ]. He studied at ] and ] before receiving his degree in architecture at the ] in 1945. After serving in the Navy, Straub lectured at USC from 1946 to 1961. Moving to Scottsdale, AZ in 1961 and joining the faculty at the College of Architecture at Arizona State University. Few architects and educators have had such a ] on architecture as Calvin C Straub.. He created an important body of work as the senior partner of Buff Straub and Hensmen, both previous students at USC. His work was widely published in Sunset Magazine and considered highly influential in shaping the vision iconography of the post-World War II contemporary southern Californian style. His and the firms work bridged the gap between the influences of early arts and crafts architects and the early California modernists, creating a uniquely regional architectural form. For this work and his educational contributions he was described in "Toward a simpler way of Life" as "the father of California post and beam architecture". His desert residence continued and extended the legacy of "design with climate" that he had begun decades again in southern California and preceded the now popular "green movement" in architecture by some 30 years. Until 1988 he held a professorship of design at ] in Tempe where his "world architecture" class attended by more than 15,000 general university students who were influenced by his contagious, jovial and animated love affair with the art of environmental design. He worked for the firm of A.B. Gallion before entering into a partnership with Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman (1956–61), and was a member of Schoneburger, Straub, Florence & Associates (1972–75). Straub also ran his own private practice in Arizona. He Received over 30 Honors and AIA awards. Apart from his work as an architect and lecturer, he also published ''Design Process and Communications'' (1978) and ''The Man-Made Environment: An Introduction to World Architecture and Design'' (1983). He retired in 1988 and died in 1998. His archives, drawings, project records, awards and project photographs many by famed Architectural photographer Julius Shulman are archived at the Arizona State University School of architecture library and archive.
⚫ '''Donald C. Hensman''' FAIA (1924, Omaha, Nebraska - 2002) grew up in ], ]. He served in the navy during World War II, as a parachute rigger in the South Pacific, and entered the ] architecture program by way of the GI Bill. It was at USC that Hensman met Conrad Buff. But prior to their collaboration with Straub, Buff and Hensman were prolific designers of tract homes for a number of regional developers. He returned to teach architecture at his alma mater, USC from 1952 to 1963. He was eventually made assistant professor within USC’s design curriculum and was chairman of the joint USC/American Institute of Architects education committee. He was strongly identified with what was termed "the Pasadena School" &mdash; a generation of architects, many associated with USC’s School of Architecture, who combined an interest in new technology and experimental solutions with a sensitivity to the Southern California landscape and the history of modernism. Hensman remained active in the ] architectural community until his death in 2002.


⚫ ==Partnership==
⚫ '''Calvin C. Straub''' FAIA (1920 – 1998) was born in ]. He studied at ] and ] before receiving his degree in architecture at the ] in 1945. After serving in the Navy, Straub lectured at USC from 1946 to 1961. Few architects and educators have had such a pervasive influence on architecture as Calvin C. Straub. He created an important body of work as the senior partner of the Firm Buff Straub and Hensmen, both previous students at USC. He was also a highly respected and much beloved professor of architecture. His work was widely published and considered highly influential in shaping the vision and iconography of the post-world war II contemporary southern California style. It bridged the gap between the influences of the early arts and crafts architects and the early California modernists, creating a uniquely regional architectural form. For this work he has been described as the "father of California post and beam architecture". This incredibly rich career was prologue for his "second career" in Arizona. Moving to Scottsdale, AZ in 1961 and joining the faculty at the College of Architecture at Arizona State University. Cal shaped the hearts and minds of two more generations of young architects while creating some of the finest Sonoran region desert architecture and winning over 30 design awards in his career.His desert residences continued and extended the legacy of "design with climate" that he had begun decades ago in southern California and preceded the now popular "green movement" in architecture by some 30 years. Beyond all these accomplishments, many have noted that his most significant contribution may well be his contagious influence on liberal arts students taking his "World architecture "class for humanities credit. Well over 15,000 general university students have been touched by the magic of architecture because of Cal Straub's jovial and animated love affair with his students and art of environmental design. His extensive world travels informed his later work as one of the early proponents of a worldwise architecture. His innovations brought non-western forms and details into the architectural vocabulary. Until 1988 he held a professorship of design at ] in Tempe, He worked for the firm of A.B. Gallion before entering into a partnership with Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman (1956-61), and was a member of Schoneburger, Straub, Florence & Associates (1972-75). Straub also ran his own practice in Arizona. Apart from his work as an architect and lecturer, he also published ''Design Process and Communications'' (1978) and ''The Man-Made Environment: An Introduction to World Architecture and Design'' (1983). He retired in 1988 and died in 1998.


⚫ In 1948, while both attending the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture and working together designing tract and model homes (but prior to beginning their practice), Buff and Hensman were asked by the Dean of the School of Architecture to take over the teaching duties left by the death of a senior professor. This meant that both Buff and Hensman were at the same time working professionals, students and teachers, all before being licensed or graduating. Both continued to teach and be associated with USC for many years.
⚫ == The Partnership ==


⚫ In 1961 ] left the practice to teach architecture at ]. Buff and Hensman continued their partnership as Buff, Hensman and Associates. Conrad Buff died in 1989 and Dennis Smith joined the partnership the same year to form Buff, Smith and Hensman, from which Hensman retired in 1998. Smith carries on in the practice, located in ].
⚫ In 1948, while both attending the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture and working together designing tract and model homes (but prior to beginning their practice), Buff and Hensman were asked by the Dean of the School of Architecture to take over the teaching duties left by the death of a senior professor. This meant that both Buff and Hensman were at the same time working professionals, students and teachers, all before being licensed or graduating. Among the many distinguished students taught at USC by Buff and Hensman over the years would be ]. Both continued to teach and be associated with USC for many years.


⚫ The Buff, Straub, and Hensman firm's masterwork was ] #20, the ] House (Altadena, 1958). It was built of factory-produced stressed skin panels and plywood vaults. 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. 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.
⚫ In 1961 Calvin Straub left the practice to teach architecture at ]. Buff and Hensman continued their partnership as Buff, Hensman and Associates which continued to be successful. Conrad Buff died in 1989 and Dennis Smith joined the partnership the same year to form Buff, Smith and Hensman, from which Hensman retired in 1998. Smith carries on in the practice, located in ].


⚫ Architect Calvin Straub's own post-and-beam home in Pasadena was another project that brought the practice commissions.
⚫ The Buff, Straub, and Hensman firm's masterwork was ] #20, the ] House (Altadena, 1958), which was considered innovative for its advanced technology. It 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.

⚫ Architect Calvin Straub's own post-and-beam home in Pasadena was another notable project that brought the practice both acclaim and commissions.


==Significant projects== ==Significant projects==
]

* 1958 ] Residence (Case Study House #20), Altadena * 1956 Mello Residence, Pasadena
* 1958 ] Residence (Case Study House #20B), Altadena
* 1959 Frank Residence, Pasadena<ref>{{cite web |title=Beck's Former Post-and-Beam Midcentury Home Asks $4.25M |url=https://www.dwell.com/article/beck-midcentury-frank-residence-buff-straub-and-hensman-86177bcd |website=Dwell Magazine |date=August 6, 2019}}</ref>
* 1959 Frank Residence, Pasadena
* 1961 John Thomson Residence * 1961 John Thomson Residence
* 1962 Sidney Fine Residence * 1962 Sidney Fine Residence
* 1962 Residence for Mr. Steve McQueen, Los Angeles
* 1963 Residence for Mr & Mrs ], Phoenix Az.<ref></ref>
* 1963 Harry Roth Residence, Beverly Hills * 1963 Harry Roth Residence, Beverly Hills
* Penn/Walter Van der Kamp Residence, Los Angeles * Penn/Walter Van der Kamp Residence, Los Angeles
* 1965 Case Study House #28 ]
* 1965 ]
* 1967 McGill Residence, Pasadena
* 1967 M.C. Gill Residence, Pasadena<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bowman |first1=Wendy |title=Buff, Straub & Hensman Midcentury in Spectacular Pasadena Setting Asks $4.7 Million |url=https://www.dirt.com/gallery/more-dirt/real-estate-listings/buff-straub-hensman-midcentury-modern-house-pasadena-1203418817/merwyngillhouse_pd5/ |website=Dirt |date=August 31, 2021}}</ref>
* 1968 Renovation for Judge Sandra Day O'Connor
* 1969 Laurence Harvey Residence, Palm Springs California <ref>{{cite news|title=Harvey House |url=https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/harvey-house_o|accessdate=3 December 2020|publisher=Architecture Magazine|date=24 July 2018}}</ref>
* 1969 Wong Residence, Los Angeles<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mandell |first1=Lisa Johnson |title=After A-List Restoration, Wong Residence Hits the Market for $5M |url=https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/wong-residence-for-sale-again/ |website=Realtor.com |date=March 9, 2017}}</ref>
* 1983 Harry Dorsey Residence, Playa del Rey, (AIA Pasadena and Foothill Chapter, Award of Merit 1984)


==Sources== ==Sources==
*''Case Study Houses'' by: Elizabeth Smith, Peter Goessel (ed). Taschen, February, 2002 ISBN 3-8228-6412-9 "Towards a Simpler Way of Life", edited by Robert Winter, University of California Press,1997 *''Case Study Houses'' by: Elizabeth Smith, Peter Goessel (ed). Taschen, February, 2002 {{ISBN|3-8228-6412-9}},<ref>"Towards a Simpler Way of Life"</ref> edited by Robert Winter, University of California Press,1997 {{ISBN|0-520-20916-8}}

==References==
{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2009}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.buffsmithandhensman.com}}
* (January 7, 2010) at Southern California Architectural History
* (2010), uncorrected proof to page 51 at Southern California Architectural History
* . Chris Iovenko. ''Los Angeles Times''. December 13, 2007. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
* {{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at Library of Congress Authorities (with no works in the LC catalog)


{{DEFAULTSORT:Buff, Straub, And Hensman}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Buff, Straub, And Hensman}}
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Latest revision as of 07:46, 18 September 2024

American architectural firm
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Buff, Straub and Hensman is an architectural firm. The office has won more than 30 awards for house designs from the American Institute of Architects. The firm was known as Buff and Hensman when Cal Straub moved to Arizona and later Buff, Smith and Hensman when Dennis Smith bought the practice after Don Hensman's retirement.

Partners

The partnership, originally Buff, Straub, and Hensman, consisted of Conrad Buff III, Calvin Straub, and Donald (Don) Hensman, all of whom were American Institute of Architects (AIA)-affiliated, licensed architects.

Conrad Buff III FAIA (August 5, 1926 - October 10, 1988) was born in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, to the creators of children's books Mary and Conrad Buff. His father Conrad Buff II was also a painter of the American southwest. Family acquaintances included Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler and opera singer Lawrence Tibbett; redesigning the Buff II garage was one of Neutra's first architectural commissions. Buff III attended local Eagle Rock schools. He graduated from U.S.C. School of Architecture in 1952. For ten years Buff was a faculty member of USC contributing design curriculum. Conrad served in the Navy in World War II at a base in Maryland, which was where he met his wife Elizabeth (Libby), a skipper's yeoman in the WAVES; film editor Conrad Buff IV is their son. After the War, Conrad decided to enroll at USC School of Architecture, where he met Donald Hensman, who had also returned from the War.

Donald C. Hensman FAIA (1924, Omaha, Nebraska - 2002) grew up in Hollywood, California. He served in the navy during World War II, as a parachute rigger in the South Pacific, and entered the USC architecture program by way of the GI Bill. It was at USC that Hensman met Conrad Buff. But prior to their collaboration with Straub, Buff and Hensman were designers of tract homes for a number of regional developers. He returned to teach architecture at his alma mater, USC from 1952 to 1963. He was eventually made assistant professor within USC's design curriculum and was chairman of the joint USC/American Institute of Architects education committee. Hensman remained active in the Pasadena architectural community until his death in 2002.

Calvin C. Straub FAIA (1920–1998) was born in Macon, Georgia. He studied at Texas A&M University and Pasadena City College before receiving his degree in architecture at the University of Southern California in 1945. After serving in the Navy, Straub lectured at USC from 1946 to 1961. Moving to Scottsdale, AZ in 1961 and joining the faculty at the College of Architecture at Arizona State University. Few architects and educators have had such a pervasive influence on architecture as Calvin C Straub.. He created an important body of work as the senior partner of Buff Straub and Hensmen, both previous students at USC. His work was widely published in Sunset Magazine and considered highly influential in shaping the vision iconography of the post-World War II contemporary southern Californian style. His and the firms work bridged the gap between the influences of early arts and crafts architects and the early California modernists, creating a uniquely regional architectural form. For this work and his educational contributions he was described in "Toward a simpler way of Life" as "the father of California post and beam architecture". His desert residence continued and extended the legacy of "design with climate" that he had begun decades again in southern California and preceded the now popular "green movement" in architecture by some 30 years. Until 1988 he held a professorship of design at Arizona State University in Tempe where his "world architecture" class attended by more than 15,000 general university students who were influenced by his contagious, jovial and animated love affair with the art of environmental design. He worked for the firm of A.B. Gallion before entering into a partnership with Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman (1956–61), and was a member of Schoneburger, Straub, Florence & Associates (1972–75). Straub also ran his own private practice in Arizona. He Received over 30 Honors and AIA awards. Apart from his work as an architect and lecturer, he also published Design Process and Communications (1978) and The Man-Made Environment: An Introduction to World Architecture and Design (1983). He retired in 1988 and died in 1998. His archives, drawings, project records, awards and project photographs many by famed Architectural photographer Julius Shulman are archived at the Arizona State University School of architecture library and archive.

Partnership

In 1948, while both attending the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture and working together designing tract and model homes (but prior to beginning their practice), Buff and Hensman were asked by the Dean of the School of Architecture to take over the teaching duties left by the death of a senior professor. This meant that both Buff and Hensman were at the same time working professionals, students and teachers, all before being licensed or graduating. Both continued to teach and be associated with USC for many years.

In 1961 Calvin Straub left the practice to teach architecture at Arizona State University. Buff and Hensman continued their partnership as Buff, Hensman and Associates. Conrad Buff died in 1989 and Dennis Smith joined the partnership the same year to form Buff, Smith and Hensman, from which Hensman retired in 1998. Smith carries on in the practice, located in Pasadena.

The Buff, Straub, and Hensman firm's masterwork was Case Study House #20, the Saul Bass House (Altadena, 1958). It was built of factory-produced stressed skin panels and plywood vaults. 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. 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.

Architect Calvin Straub's own post-and-beam home in Pasadena was another project that brought the practice commissions.

Significant projects

Case Study House #20B in 2014
  • 1956 Mello Residence, Pasadena
  • 1958 Saul Bass Residence (Case Study House #20B), Altadena
  • 1959 Frank Residence, Pasadena
  • 1961 John Thomson Residence
  • 1962 Sidney Fine Residence
  • 1962 Residence for Mr. Steve McQueen, Los Angeles
  • 1963 Residence for Mr & Mrs Marcus Whiffen, Phoenix Az.
  • 1963 Harry Roth Residence, Beverly Hills
  • Penn/Walter Van der Kamp Residence, Los Angeles
Case Study House #28 in 2015
  • 1965 Case Study House #28
  • 1967 M.C. Gill Residence, Pasadena
  • 1968 Renovation for Judge Sandra Day O'Connor
  • 1969 Laurence Harvey Residence, Palm Springs California
  • 1969 Wong Residence, Los Angeles
  • 1983 Harry Dorsey Residence, Playa del Rey, (AIA Pasadena and Foothill Chapter, Award of Merit 1984)

Sources

  • Case Study Houses by: Elizabeth Smith, Peter Goessel (ed). Taschen, February, 2002 ISBN 3-8228-6412-9, edited by Robert Winter, University of California Press,1997 ISBN 0-520-20916-8

References

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
  1. "Dennis Smith". Archived from the original on 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  2. "Beck's Former Post-and-Beam Midcentury Home Asks $4.25M". Dwell Magazine. August 6, 2019.
  3. Whiffen house
  4. Bowman, Wendy (August 31, 2021). "Buff, Straub & Hensman Midcentury in Spectacular Pasadena Setting Asks $4.7 Million". Dirt.
  5. "Harvey House". Architecture Magazine. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  6. Mandell, Lisa Johnson (March 9, 2017). "After A-List Restoration, Wong Residence Hits the Market for $5M". Realtor.com.
  7. "Towards a Simpler Way of Life"

External links

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