interior design case study examples

Case Study: Academy Highlands by Risa Boyer Architecture

Designing a full-time residence for retirees can be particularly rewarding for architects. By the time most clients reach that milestone, ...

Case Study: House for a New Beginning by Nielsen:Schuh

Building in California’s wine country is a risky proposition and has been for the last decade. Given the predictable occurrence ...

Case Study: Two Gables by Wheeler Kearns

The aptly named Two Gables residence in Glencoe, Illinois, might appear premeditated, but its symmetrical form emerged organically to serve ...

ARCHITECTURAL INTERIORS

The aptly named Two Gables residence in Glencoe, Illinois, might appear premeditated, but its symmetrical form emerged organically to serve…

Case Study: Tudor Redux by Cohen & Hacker Architects

The 1913 Tudor Revival would need more than gallons of white paint to turn it into a welcoming, light-filled home…

Case Study: 519 Indiana by Studio 804

Urban lots are not for the faint of heart, especially when surrounded by existing dwellings that predate zoning codes. Such…

Case Study: Pointer Perch by Haver & Skolnick Architects

It’s possibly not a coincidence that this project evokes the statue of the world’s most loyal dog, Hachiko, poised forever…

RURAL / SECOND HOMES

Designing a full-time residence for retirees can be particularly rewarding for architects. By the time most clients reach that milestone,…

Building in California’s wine country is a risky proposition and has been for the last decade. Given the predictable occurrence…

Case Study: Old Yacht Club by Elliott Architects

There are many reasons to rescue an old building—because you have to is one of them, because you want to…

Case Study: Farm to Table by McInturff Architects

It turns out that a dairy barn can become a family getaway without much ado, design-wise. Consider this rural Virginia…

Case Study: Presidio Heights Residence by Nick Noyes Architecture

Not far from the Presidio—a national park and Historic Landmark District at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge—San Francisco’s…

Case Study: West Lynn Residence by A Parallel Architecture

The sensitive renovation of a historic house can take many directions, and the possibilities are compounded when a wing is…

Case Study: The Perch by Chadbourne + Doss Architects

In the midst of Seattle’s dense Queen Anne neighborhood, the Perch forms a quiet sanctuary, floating above the street in…

ON THE BOARDS

Parti Shot: Stacked Moor by Flavin Architects

Most homeowners feel they could benefit from just a little more space. In an older house, that need for space…

Parti Shot: Lake Tahoe Cabins by RO | ROCKETT DESIGN

Humans have a primal desire to live by the water, even if it means assuming some hardships to do so.…

Parti Shot: Rolling Hills Residence by Clayton Korte

When your site has a steep vertical rise, no part of the design or build comes easily. Brian Korte and…

Parti Shot: Tidewater House by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA

When you’re a residential architect, you’re in the business of delivering dream houses. But what happens when your clients’ dream…

Sponsored Case Study: Simple Comfort in an Oregon Home

When architect Nahoko Ueda set out to design a family home in the rolling terrain outside Salem, Oregon, her goals…

Sponsored Case Study: A Private Lake Side Retreat in Texas

When you first see the 2,600sq ft lake house in Riverside, Texas, it looks like a glass box floating on…

Sponsored Case Study: Echo Hills Residence by Robert Gurney

Architect Robert Gurney leverages a site’s steeply sloped terrain to transform a suburban Maryland home into a tranquil oasis that takes its cues from nature.

Sponsored Case Study: Sanctuary House by Tai Ikegami

When he was brought in to design a modern home in Palo Alto, California, Tai Ikegami knew he’d have to…

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Case study in Interior Design - Real examples of our design process.

Ever wonder how interior design comes to life? Explore our curated case study collection of real-life projects to see how we do it. These examples show how we tackle problems, listen to our clients, and add creative touches to our work. Whether it’s fixing space issues, making things look beautiful, or reaching specific design goals, our projects prove that our design methods work.

At Bynn Esmond Designs, we use modern methods to design spaces that fit our clients perfectly. We’re not just designers – we’re active partners in the entire design process, making sure everything looks beautiful and functions well.

We start by getting to know the homeowners and their homes. We figure out what design challenges we need to solve and set clear goals. This hands-on approach helps us create a unique and personalized design for each project, making sure it truly reflects the homeowners’ style. But we don’t stop there. Because surprises can happen during construction. Therefore, we are diligent during this phase and manage the design to ensure your vision becomes a reality.

We invite you to dive deeper into our design journey through our design portfolio .  There, you will find not just our selected projects but also a diverse set of projects that showcase what we can do.  See how Bynn Esmond Designs transforms spaces with care and creativity, bringing ideas to life through a hands-on and client-focused design process.

Tudor style home remodel in San Carlos, CA

Modernizing a dated tudor, bringing it into the 21st century. A full-scale remodel, we added a small extension to the kitchen, revised the floor plan, and raised ceiling

California ranch-style home gets an update

Redwood City, CA contemporary white and gray kitchen with hidden pantry. Full-service “wellness design” included interior architectural remodel, addition, kitchen and bath planning and selections design, interior design,

Art takes center stage in this modern treehouse

Home renovation and interior design in Palomar Park, CA. Services provided include custom kitchen, bathroom and fireplace design and remodel, construction documents, interior design and furniture, lighting design, full service design-build-furnish, renovation management and design oversight.

Hidden corner kitchen opens up to guests

San Carlos, CA modern farmhouse kitchen renovation. Full service design included kitchen planning, materials selection, cabinet layout and design, design oversight and renovation management.

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Interior Design Case Study

By HOME & DESIGN

Interior Design Case Study Celia Welch subscribes to the notion that less is more when it comes to interior design. “My style is grounded in simplicity,” she explains. “Ultimately, I believe that simple home design leads to ease of living.”

This philosophy underlies all of her projects, and it’s what attracted a couple building a custom home in the Middleburg area. They brought Welch in at the start of the process, asking her to work closely with their builder, Visnic Homes, to create an elegant yet comfortable abode that capitalizes on its bucolic surroundings; the kitchen and adjacent family room exemplify the team’s success.

The house is located on a golf course, so retaining unimpeded views was a high priority. The two-story family room and adjacent kitchen are flanked by windows and French doors; solar shades can be tucked away and draperies frame the window and door openings.

To delineate the kitchen and sitting area, Welch designed a granite-topped, walnut display shelf. The kitchen boasts custom Shaker-style cabinetry and Carrara marble counters and backsplash. The kitchen opens to a breakfast nook where a rustic roundtable is artfully paired with bright red Windsor chairs from Maine Cottage. Welch designed a cabinet that beautifully displays the couple’s pottery collection along one wall.

Most of the furniture is new to the house. An existing Baker sofa was reupholstered for the sitting area and Welch selected a metal coffee table and wood-framed chairs, both from Four Hands in California, to create “simple, soft lines with a touch of modern,” she says. A restful landscape by John Brandon Sills adorns the mantel.

Builder: Ted Visnic, Visnic Homes , Rockville, Maryland. Interior Design: Celia Welch, Celia Welch Interiors , Bethesda, Maryland. Photography: Angie Seckinger .

Celia Welch’s Trade Secrets:

• Remember that keeping things simple, without too much clutter, allows the details to show. We used the same color metal for hardware, light fixtures, and drapery rods—and they are more noticeable because space is not cluttered.
• Stay close to your main concept.
• Look for different ways to add interest. Here, the interior doors are painted a different color from the trim and walls.
• With tall ceilings, there are tricks to imparting more human scale to space. Hanging sconces and low pendants bring the eye down. In this room, a raised hearth made the fireplace taller.
• Use one flooring material throughout the house to keep things flowing. It will open up space.
• Display shelves are a great way to introduce what is important to you.

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A case study is a research strategy that uses "an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon or setting" in its real life context. (Adapted from Groat, Architectural Research Methods , 346).

Check out these books from the library for further guidance on case studies:

• Flyvbjerg, Bent. "Five Misunderstandings About Case Study Research." Qualitative Inquiry, 12, no. 2 (April 2006): 219-245.

• Last Updated: Oct 5, 2023 8:40 AM
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Case Studies: Floors, Walls & Ceilings Focus

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Our selection of nine projects takes you around the world to see how each is a standout, innovative scheme through the choice of surface materials

Crew Collective offices and cafe, Montreal All Images: Jesús Adrien Williams

Located in the old Royal Bank space on St-Jacques Street in Old Montreal, Canada, the Crew Collective offices and cafe is a project defined by a 1,100 sq m office area for a tech start-up that also includes a cafe for use by freelance workers and the public. The project presented two distinct design challenges: the first originated from the client’s requirements – how to elaborate an architectural relationship and construct boundaries between the various functions. The second became a deeper questioning of how to approach design in the context of a heritage building.

The complexity of the project required a high degree of fluidity between the various work spaces. Part of the floor area was to be designated for permanent Crew Collective employees, and was to contain conference rooms as well as other office standards. Other areas were to be rented to freelance workers either by the month or by the week, with these workers also needing access to conference rooms. Lastly, temporary workers or the public could also use the cafe and the desks for a few hours, have wi-fi access, and lockers for their own computers as required. This environment was meant to create a flow and enable interactions between permanent and temporary workers, nurturing co-working in the tech community.

The design was meant to facilitate this flow by creating transparent and translucent borders between the various office spaces. A complex series of glass walls was erected between the various areas, with a defined access to reflect the degree of permanency for each worker group. Original bank teller stands, dating back from the old Royal Bank, had to be retained. As a consequence they became a natural border between the cafe space and the conference rooms that, in turn, created a separation between the more public spaces and the permanent workers.

The teller stands – as well as the existing building shell – offered a great design opportunity as a rich and textured background; a testimony to another era, which could thrive with a new function redefining its purpose. The 1926 building contained many remarkably crafted elements: an inlay marble floor; an ornate painted plaster ceiling along with custom suspended brass light fixtures; and other brass elements including the teller stands.

Architect Henri Cleinge says: ‘Brass-plated steel was selected for most enclosures to contrast the existing brass teller stands and brass suspended light fixtures. The new brass-plated steel components are simple and geometric; hence, very contemporary. The challenge was to define an intervention that would fit in well, yet offer something new.’ Confronted with this heritage ambience, the design had to be balanced to express, recycle and respect the existing features, as well as simultaneously allowing a contemporary, discreet intervention for the contemporary identity of the firm to exist. 

The new design integrated brass-plated steel throughout, fixed to boxy minimal enclosures, in order to connect yet also add contrast to the existing ornate brass elements. The conference rooms were divided by walls covered with brass-plated steel and enclosed with glass partitions and a horizontal plane of a ceiling. By coincidence they ended up relating to the paper compartments in the old freestanding teller stands where deposits were noted with pen and paper.

Cleinge adds: ‘In terms of other materials, concrete panels, hot-rolled steel, granite and white oak were used. These are rich in texture, pattern, colour and patina. We like using them because they are not static and each piece has its own personality. The forms are contemporary, but the materials are somewhat timeless.’ The new design remains a kind of secondary feature, allowing the original building to be the primary aesthetic. It is only by being in the space for a certain amount of time that visitors can really appreciate the new intervention.

www.cleinge.com

Installation Dance Floor, Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal All Images: Maxime Brouillet

Architect Jean Verville won a competition to create an urban art project in the city’s Museum Avenue. Installed during the summer just gone, his elegant installation Dance Floor offers a lively landscape animated by an exuberant trompe-l’oeil effect.

www.jeanverville.com

Holiday Inn, Brooklyn, New York All Images: Inessa Photography Eschewing a long-standing brand convention, interior designer Andres Escobar and his team at Escobar Design by Lemay, have created a new design platform for a Holiday Inn hotel in Brooklyn. The 14-floor glass-and-brick hotel, featuring 245 guest rooms, represents an altogether different aesthetic for the hotel brand.

The hotel has been designed to appeal to a broad range of travellers, from business to leisure visitors, who regard this area of Downtown Brooklyn as a trend-setting destination. Reinforcing the cutting-edge spirit is an entrance area that introduces a custom-designed mosaic mural of Brooklyn Bridge behind a full-height water feature.

It was important that the design reflects the area’s exciting transformation,’ says Escobar. ‘From the moment guests walk through the front doors we want them to be delighted by the glamour of the hotel, as well as its comfort.’ The lobby walls are clad with natural walnut over floors of macchiato quartz. A reception area is highlighted by a backlit decorative chrome and brass metal grid detail that is carried over to the lifts’ interiors.

Other custom-design elements include several large, crystal prism-shaped, pendant chandeliers that refract light throughout the lobby space. Another unusual element is a fully landscaped greenhouse off of the lobby, with an atrium that is partially covered by shades to create a soothing, ambient light.

Escobar has also designed a dark azure pool with a waterfall and glass wall overlooking a fully equipped gym. The Holiday Inn Brooklyn was the first of five of Escobar’s hospitality projects to be completed in New York this year.

www.escobardesign.com

Tokyo Sushi restaurant, Barcelona

Tokyo Sushi is the oldest Japanese restaurant in Barcelona, Spain. With a history spanning 36 years, the restaurant recently sought to update its interior design with a style that would combine traditional Japanese aesthetics with a modern touch. KOBFUJI Architects specified Formica Group’s Terril with Matte 58 finish to clad the 10m-long wall behind the sushi bar. Terril was used in square panels to create an interpretation of the classic kimono stripe pattern from the Edo era – capturing the Japanese heritage integral to the restaurant’s identity.

Architect Yoshihide Kobanawa says: ‘The decor is almost as important as the food itself, as it is a reflection of the restaurant’s essence. In order to visually portray the concept of fusion kitchen, linking traditional and contemporary flavours, special designs are required to offer a visually inventive fusion of traditional elements and new technologies.’ The panels, made by Medio, are composed of modules that follow a sloping, perforated pattern. Joints are invisible so that the panelling is perceived as seamless. It also features a hidden LED lighting system, which highlights the graphic pattern designed as the brand image of the restaurant. www.formica.com www.mediodesign.com

Tano Cucina Italiana restaurant, Grand Hyatt, Rio de Janeiro Italian culture and gastronomy have been a big part of Brazilian life ever since the first Genoese sailors and merchants set foot there during the Renaissance, and the team from Studio Arthur Casas built on this heritage for its design for the Rio Grand Hyatt’s Italian restaurant, Tano Cucina Italiana.

‘The restaurant was a wide open space and we had decided on minimalist, modern furniture and a solid wood floor, from Hakwood. That’s why we needed to create some fixed partitions to make it more intimate and cosy,’ says Casas. ‘We created solid wood shelves, displaying selected objects that bring to mind the greengrocer shops and grocery stores typical of the Italian community in Brazil.’ The chosen textures and colours reference the ‘old country’ too.

Says Casas: ‘The green and earth colours of the tiles and fabrics are explicit references to the colours of the Italian flag. But there are subtler hints as well, such as the choice for an open kitchen, where you see the chef and his team prepare fresh pasta. It gives the place a warm feel.’ As well as its Italian aesthetic, the scheme has been created to also give a very real sense of place. Casas adds: ‘In Tano Cucina Italiana we used a lot of solid wood, a common material throughout pre-industrial Europe as well as in colonial Brazil. The natural character of Hakwood’s flooring resonates strongly with that theme.’

www.hakwood.com

Novotel Madrid All Images: Jesús Granada

Introducing nature into the hotel was the premise of design practice International Hospitality Projects (IHP) for the renovation of the Novotel Madrid Center. The four-star hotel is in one of the most central, best-known parts of Madrid, adjacent to the Salamanca district and close to the El Retiro Park. It is the world’s largest Novotel: 790 rooms and almost 7,000 sq m of common areas. The remodel covered the building’s entire interior space, including lobby, bar/restaurant, conference rooms and guest rooms, as well as the new nature-inspired foyer (pictured above).

With the primary objective of reorganising the space to make it more functional, IHP made the most of the large area that was available to create many more open zones, updating the interiors to give a sensation of spaciousness. The challenge was a vast 360-degree remodel that gives the hotel an attractive, contemporary image. An architectural plaza invites guests into the hotel, through a forest of trees made of steel, topped with foliage of green crystal. This bright and airy structure covers the majority of the plaza. From here, guests enter directly into a warm, harmonious setting that evokes nature in the form of a green wall. The main floor is designed to highlight the fluidity of the space and to orient the hotel’s visitors.

The view of the main lobby is made of six large Hi-Macs pillars with backlit rhomboid patterns that portray a geometric abstraction of the tree trunks and their leaves. These epic structures, in the form of asymmetrical prisms, are the focal point of the lobby and the backbone of the hotel. With the aim of giving the hotel an updated, contemporary image, three straight structures with diffused underlighting were chosen for the reception desks, given even greater emphasis by the presence of three large ‘smokestacks’ hanging from the ceiling above and illuminated at the base.

All of these elements are made of Hi-Macs in Alpine White, in contrast to the back part of the desk, which is printed crystal. A new side entrance for groups was also created, where a large trapezoidal structure lit from within – also made in Hi-Macs – defines the space between the staircase and the ramp. In its lighter tones, Hi-Macs possesses a notable translucence when backlit, for luminous effects with a high visual impact, coming directly through the material. IHP’s project designer Paolo Mauri says: ‘We needed to be able to create something that would have a real impact, from a visual and aesthetic point of view.

Hi-Macs gave us the ability to create impactful elements, while still being a material that is neutral, long-lasting and easy to maintain – all of which were characteristics that the client required.’ The Alpine White colour of the solid surface material also complements the original marble flooring, which was retained to create an elegant space full of personality. ‘The choice of Hi-Macs was a step forward,’ adds Mauri. ‘We moved from a classic, traditional material such as marble to an innovative one with many different aesthetic possibilities and which is also very hard-wearing.’ On the same floor is the bar and restaurant. The 6m-long bar is a single piece of steel fronted in backlit Alpine White Hi-Macs, with changeable lighting that, combined with the large video wall, enables the atmosphere of the space to be altered throughout the day.

www.himacs.eu

Amanhã Museum, Rio de Janeiro

Corian has been used to create the dramatic backdrop and furniture for the permanent collection of the newly opened Amanhã Museum in Rio de Janeiro, a facility that is part of the revitalisation of the city’s docklands. With the museum’s main exhibition Cosmos, designed by American exhibition designer Ralph Appelbaum, it features huge monolithic areas inside that provide visitors with their first immersive experience on entering the museum. With space for 200 people, Cosmos enables visitors to experience a sensory journey through the universe, based on a virtual tour in a 360-degree dome.

One of the highlights of this first immersive experience is Cosmic Horizons, a series of six interactive tables in a cup shape measuring 130cm in diameter and 80cm tall. Again fabricated in Corian Nocturne, the tables include built-in monitors, allowing visitors to interact more deeply with aspects of the universe. The pieces are moulded using a vacuum technique and have tops with precise oval cuts. One of the key features of the design is the bevelled finishing, which allows for the installation of monitors and reading slots. The Tomorrow’s Tables feature has been fabricated in a similar way.

The three geometrically shaped tables each have different dimensions and are the focus of the ‘tomorrow’ theme that unfolds in an origami-shaped area in the museum. The tables have a metal frame designed to support each element, in Corian, and the multiple monitors, which alternate between showing a series of trends and scenarios and interactive activities that place the visitor in charge of constructing the world’s future. Located in the ‘We’ space in the museum, Churinga sacred objects invite visitors to reflect on what we will leave for future generations.

The Churinga base has a flattened circular design with different radii and angles, and measures 240cm in diameter and 55cm high. It was fabricated in Corian’s Rice Paper colour and then treated by artist Mana Bernardes with raw clay painting and handwriting to create a more rustic effect. In addition, embedded floodlights that illuminate a traditional Brazilian elders’ oca house. More than 400 signs and identification icons feature throughout the museum.

One of the most striking is the main logo, inspired by a ‘sticks’ game, which is composed of more than 300 pieces of Corian in Glacier White, decorated with 11 colours of automotive paint. The museum building itself was designed by Spanish neo-futuristic architect Santiago Calatrava.

www.corian.co.uk

Simmons & Simmons offices, Milan

A key thread of the project, in an area of some 2,000 sq m in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, one of the city’s most exclusive locations, is the seminato marble aggregate flooring, which has been conserved and enhanced with contrasting inserts in pale cement and black marble, suggesting the image of elegant carpet.

Doors and the arches above them are painted iron-black, creating a striking perspective effect through the contrast with the white walls. The entrance to the offices features a large reception desk in brushed brass, below a dramatic brass chandelier with handcrafted blown-glass luminaires.

The toilet facilities also have floors in seminato, joined by large-format tiles that inversely echo the colours of the floor. Elsewhere, tables of different sizes with tops in varying types of marble, with supports of iron and brass, stand in a large meeting room lit by transparent fluorescent prisms.

www.clsarchitetti.com

Waters Technologies, Wexford, RoI FORMICA laminate has been specified by O’Driscoll Lynn Architects for the wall panelling of Waters Technologies office, meeting room and reception area as part of a renovation project at its site in Wexford, Ireland. The final phase of the 7,500 sq m manufacturing facility’s expansion required an elegant material for the interior to reflect the nature of the company. In designing the building, there was a conscious effort by the architect to employ simple, refined and hardwearing materials both for the internal and external finishes. Formica Ligna Grigio Fino in chiselled finish was selected in part for its natural-wood look aesthetic.

Architect Brian O’Driscoll says: ‘The building’s interiors were designed around a natural, subdued colour palette with carefully chosen highlight areas and furniture items. Ligna was an ideal fit since it complemented the existing porcelain tiles, simple white ceilings and monolithic white reception desk, while offering a textured wood look and durable finish.’

Unlike real wood, Formica Ligna has the advantage of having surface properties that include being impervious to liquids and being easy to clean and maintain. The material was also selected for its sustainable and environmental-friendly credentials as an alternative to solid wood. O’Driscoll adds: ‘The sustainable properties were a good fit with the project brief, which called for a LEED-certified building.

www.formica.com

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Interior Design Case Study

Our transformational interior design is an immersion into a new way of thinking about interior design and personal empowerment. Learn about our unique set of design strategies by clicking a link. Each case study shows a different approach based on the personal needs and sensibility of our clients.

When you’re putting together your online design portfolio , design case studies are a great way to showcase your experience and skills. They also give potential clients a window into how you work.

By showing off what you can do and your design process, case studies can help you land more clients and freelance design jobs —so it can be smart to dedicate an entire section of your online portfolio website to case studies.

Getting Started

So—what is a design case study and how do they fit in your portfolio.

Let’s get some definitions out of the way first, shall we? A design case study is an example of a successful project you’ve completed. The exact case study format can vary greatly depending on your style and preferences, but typically it should outline the problem or assignment, show off your solution, and explain your approach.

One of the best ways to do that is to use a case study design that’s similar to a magazine article or long-form web article with lots of images throughout. When building your case study portfolio, create a new page for each case study. Then create a listing of all your case studies with an image and link to each of them. Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of creating these case studies.

Choose Your Best Projects

To make your online portfolio the best it can be , it’s good to be picky when choosing projects for case studies. Since your portfolio will often act as your first impression with potential clients, you only want it to showcase your best work.

If you have a large collection of completed projects, you may have an urge to do a ton of case studies. There’s an argument to be made in favor of that, since it’s a way to show off your extensive experience. In addition, by including a wide variety of case studies, it’s more likely that potential clients will be able to find one that closely relates to their business or upcoming project.

But don’t let your desire to have many case studies on your portfolio lead you to include projects you’re not as proud of. Keep in mind that your potential clients are probably busy people, so you shouldn’t expect them to wade through a massive list of case studies. If you include too many, you can never be sure which ones potential clients will take a look at. As a result, they may miss out on seeing some of your best work.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for how many case studies to include. It’ll depend on the amount of experience you have, and how many of your completed projects you consider to be among your best work.

Use Your Design Expertise

When creating the case study section of your portfolio, use your designer’s eye to make everything attractive and easily digestible. One important guideline is to choose a layout that will enable you to include copy and image captions throughout.

Don’t have your portfolio up and running yet and not sure which portfolio platform is best for you? Try one that offers a free trial and a variety of cool templates that you can play around with to best showcase your design case studies.

If you don’t provide context for every image you include, it can end up looking like just a (somewhat confusing) image gallery. Case studies are more than that—they should explain everything that went into what you see in the images.

Check Out Other Case Study Examples for Inspiration

Looking at case study examples from successful designers is a great way to get ideas for making your case study portfolio more effective. Pay special attention to the case study design elements, including the layout, the number of images, and amount of copy. This will give you a better idea of how the designer keeps visitors interested in the story behind their projects.

To see some great case study examples, check out these UX designer portfolios .

Try a Case Study Template

There are plenty of resources online that offer free case study templates . These templates can be helpful, as they include questions that’ll help you ensure you’ve included all the important information.

However, most of them are not tailored to designers. These general case study templates don’t have the formatting you’ll want (i.e. the ability to include lots of images). Even the ones that are aimed at designers aren’t as effective as creating your own design. That’s why case study templates are best used as a starting point to get you thinking, or as a checklist to ensure you’ve included everything.

How to Write Case Studies

Maintain your usual tone.

You should write your case studies in the same personal, authentic (yet still professional!) tone of voice as you would when creating the About Me section of your portfolio . Don’t get bogged down in too much technical detail and jargon—that will make your case studies harder to read.

Since your case studies are part of your online portfolio, changing your usual tone can be jarring to the reader.

Instead, everything on your portfolio should have a consistent style. This will help you with creating brand identity . The result will be potential clients will be more connected to your writing and get the feeling that they’re learning what makes you unique.

Provide Some Context

Case studies are more effective when you include some information at the beginning to set the stage. This can include things like the date of the project, name of the client, and what the client does. Providing some context will make the case study more relatable to potential clients.

Also, by including the date of the project, you can highlight how your work has progressed over time. However, you don’t want to bog down this part of the case study with too much information. So it only really needs to be a sentence or two.

Explain the Client’s Expectations

Another important piece of information to include near the beginning of your case study is what the client wanted to accomplish with the project. Consider the guidelines the client provided, and what they would consider a successful outcome.

Did this project involve unique requirements? Did you tailor the design to suit the client’s brand or target audience? Did you have to balance some conflicting requirements?

Establishing the client’s expectations early on in the case study will help you later when you want to explain how you made the project a success.

Document Your Design Process

As you write your case study, you should take a look at your process from an outsider’s point of view. You already know why you made the decisions you did, so it may feel like you’re explaining the obvious. But by explaining your thought process, the case study will highlight all the consideration you put into the design project.

This can include everything from your initial plan to your inspiration, and the changes you made along the way. Basically, you should think about why you took the approach you did, and then explain it.

At this point, consider mentioning any tricks you use to make your design process more efficient . That can include how you managed your time, how you communicated with clients, and how you kept things on track.

Don’t Be Afraid to Mention Challenges

When writing a case study, it can be tempting to only explain the parts that went flawlessly. But you should consider mentioning any challenges that popped up along the way.

Was this project assigned with an extremely tight deadline? Did you have to ask the client to clarify their desired outcome? Were there revisions requested?

If you have any early drafts or drawings from the project saved, it can be a good idea to include them in the case study as well—even if they show that you initially had a very different design in mind than you ended up with. This can show your flexibility and willingness to go in new directions in order to achieve the best results.

Mentioning these challenges is another opportunity to highlight your value as a designer to potential clients. It will give you a chance to explain how you overcame those challenges and made the project a success.

Show How the Project’s Success Was Measured

Case studies are most engaging when they’re written like stories. If you followed the guidelines in this article, you started by explaining the assignment. Next, you described the process you went through when working on it. Now, conclude by going over how you know the project was a success.

This can include mentioning that all of the client’s guidelines were met, and explaining how the design ended up being used.

Check if you still have any emails or communications with the client about their satisfaction with the completed project. This can help put you in the right mindset for hyping up the results. You may even want to include a quote from the client praising your work.

Start Writing Your Case Studies ASAP

Since case studies involve explaining your process, it’s best to do them while the project is still fresh in your mind. That may sound like a pain; once you put a project to bed, you’re probably not looking forward to doing more work on it. But if you get started on your case study right away, it’s easier to remember everything that went into the design project, and why you made the choices you did.

If you’re just starting writing your case studies for projects you’ve completed in the past, don’t worry. It will just require a couple more steps, as you may need to refresh your memory a bit.

Start by taking a look at any emails or assignment documents that show what the client requested. Reviewing those guidelines will make it easier to know what to include in your case study about how you met all of the client’s expectations.

Another helpful resource is preliminary drafts, drawings, or notes you may have saved. Next, go through the completed project and remind yourself of all the work that went into achieving that final design.

Draw Potential Clients to See Your Case Studies

Having a great portfolio is the key to getting hired . By adding some case studies to your design portfolio, you’ll give potential clients insight into how you work, and the value you can offer them.

But it won’t do you any good if they don’t visit your portfolio in the first place! Luckily, there are many ways you can increase your chances. One way is to add a blog to your portfolio , as that will improve your site’s SEO and draw in visitors from search results. Another is to promote your design business using social media . If you’re looking to extend your reach further, consider investing in a Facebook ad campaign , as its likely easier and less expensive than you think.

Once clients lay eyes on all your well-written, beautifully designed case studies, the work will come roaring in!

Want to learn more about creating the perfect design portfolio? 5 Designers Reveal How to Get Clients With Your Portfolio 20 Design Portfolios You Need to See for Inspiration Study: How Does the Quality of Your Portfolio Site Influence Getting Hired?

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How to Craft the Perfect Interior Design: A Case Study

Interior design can be a complex undertaking, especially for a large villa. Many people often wonder, "How do I make an apartment decorating plan?" or "How can I make my apartment look better?"

Mr. Sachin, a resident of Buldana, faced a similar situation when he desired to enhance the interior design of his villa. Instead of going with a local designer, he chose Ongrid's online home design services, a decision that marked the beginning of his home's transformation.

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Creator : OnGrid Design

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Credit : OnGrid Design

Starting Off with a Plan

Starting off with an apartment decorating plan is essential, and this is where Ongrid's expertise comes in. They focused on the 7 principles of interior design , creating a comprehensive strategy that respects the Rule of Three in interior design.

This rule emphasizes that objects arranged or grouped in odd numbers are more appealing, memorable, and effective than even-numbered groupings. With this rule in mind, the Ongrid team went ahead to work on Mr. Sachin's villa.

The Kitchen

Among the first areas to receive a makeover was the kitchen. The use of creative kitchen tile designs added a modern aesthetic to the room. It's surprising how a well-designed kitchen can significantly impact the overall feel of an apartment, and Mr. Sachin's villa was no exception.

The Living Area

In the living area, the central piece was a beautifully crafted center table . The table was positioned to complement other elements of the room, including geometric shapes and patterns which have become popular in Indian interior home design .

A Focus on Small Spaces

Ongrid's services are not limited to spacious homes. They have expertise in crafting home design plans for small spaces . In Mr. Sachin's villa, they optimized every inch of space without compromising style or functionality.

Online Design vs. Local Designer

Choosing between a local designer and online home design can be tough. In Mr. Sachin's case, the advantages of online design became evident in the efficient and professional work of the Ongrid team.

In Conclusion

To answer "How can I make my apartment look better?" or "How to create a luxury apartment?", it's crucial to understand the importance of good interior design. Using Mr. Sachin's villa as a case study, we've seen how the principles of design, from the Rule of Three to an understanding of the client's needs, come into play to create a beautiful home.

The Bedroom: A Sanctuary of Peace

When it comes to answering "How to decorate a small flat?" or "How to design a small bachelor apartment?", the bedroom is often one of the most challenging areas. With limited space and a need for comfort and functionality, designing this room takes skill and understanding.

Drawing inspiration from the concept of mindfulness at home , Ongrid created a calm, serene space where Mr. Sachin could rest and rejuvenate. The use of minimalist design elements, inspired by minimalist living principles, contributed to an uncluttered and peaceful ambiance.

The Study: Mixing Old and New

One of the trending styles in interior design is the intermingling of traditional and modern elements. In Mr. Sachin's study, Ongrid opted for a style that mixes old and new to striking effect. The result was a space that exudes a sense of nostalgia while still being practical and up-to-date.

Incorporating Open Floor Plans

The idea of open floor plans and multi-functional spaces is gradually gaining traction, especially in small apartments. By breaking down walls and allowing rooms to flow into one another, Ongrid created an illusion of space and fluidity in Mr. Sachin's villa, further enhancing its appeal.

Other Elements: Industrial Chic and Art Deco

Finally, to make the villa look even better, Ongrid incorporated elements from other styles of interior design such as Industrial Chic and Art Deco . These elements added a unique touch, contributing to the luxurious and stylish feel of the villa.

The Final Verdict

Ongrid's transformation of Mr. Sachin's villa into a luxury apartment was a combination of several design principles and concepts, all creatively executed to result in a home that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also comfortable and functional. It serves as an inspiring case study for anyone asking, "How can I make my apartment look better?" or "How to create a luxury apartment?"

In conclusion, remember that a great design is the sum of its parts. It's about understanding and employing the 5 concepts of interior design , be it balance, rhythm, harmony, emphasis, or proportion. By embracing these concepts, anyone can create a beautiful and inviting space that truly feels like home.

🏠 Dreaming of your own luxury apartment? Feel free to get in touch with Ongrid today! 🏠

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Success Stories of Ongrid's Most Innovative Clients

A Bay Window Champion

Ms. Saadiya from Mumbai undertook the challenge to personlaise her spaces with structural reforms

Love for Master Suites

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A renowed regional retail store from Odisha brings a fresh new look for its customers with Ongrid, Pune.

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Case Studies

A stunning home in liquid stone |2021

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Taking white to a new level in home interiors |2021|

Featuring House no. 7 located in Mumbai, India. Designed by Purple Backyard

Designing a Penthouse in the middle of Mumbai |2021|

Featuring K House , located in Mumbai India Designed by AVN Interiors

Looks like a unique construction firm |2021|

An office space design called Acutely Bare located in Bengaluru, India Designed by Collage Architecture Studio , India

Better corporate workspace design for our workforce (2021)

Featuring the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group – Corporate Office & Rooftop , located in Kolkata, India. Designed by Abin Design Studio

The meeting point of technology and manual craftsmanship

Featuring Timber Rhyme , located in Chandigarh, India. Designed by Studio Ardete

When one discipline of design magnifies another

Featuring The Canvas located along Marine Drive, Mumbai, India. Designed by Studio PKA

Societal culture in Architectural design

Featuring ‘Veranda on a Roof located in Pune, India. Designed by Studio Course

Entranced by jazz along the Queen’s necklace

Featuring the Eau Bar, the Oberoi Hotel , Mumbai, India. Designed by sP+a Architects , Mumbai

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Interior Design Project Case Study

OUR ROLE FOR QUB DESIGN

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The Project

We spend most of our time in interior spaces, but not all of us have the skills and knowledge to transform interiors into inspiring places. This is precisely why Qub Design dreamed about giving rise to an awesome team of designers, architects, developers and photographers.

As a result of years devoted to passionate teamwork, they can confidently take up any project, be it residential or large-scale commercial projects.

The Challenge

As an interior design business, image is everything for Qub Design. Needless to say, their website had to reflect this in a way that would attract new clients and inspire the existing ones.

That meant a flawless and rather aesthetic web design with a high focus on images and easy to read content. The main challenge here was to create a fantastic website full of high-quality images, without taking them forever to load. Another business concern was embracing the constant change of interior design trends without consistently redesigning the website.

Our main goal was to showcase a killer portfolio by means of a clean and modern website. We also envisioned a deep architecture with a personalized structure, in a way that allowed anyone to easily update the content.

We kicked off by a short meeting with the dream team behind this project. We wanted to catch a glimpse of the entire creative team, before focusing solely on business needs. From that moment on it was easy to understand who we needed on board for this journey: a back-end developer, a front-end developer, a designer, a marketing specialist, a QA specialist, a product manager.

Discovery & Research

We quickly came to the conclusion that we wanted a clean layout to shift focus towards the content. We also wanted to convey the feeling of stylish furniture and contemporary facades.

However, we needed time and research to realize that dividing the website into different sections would come as a great benefit for the various types of customers.

Prototyping & Testing

Nowadays, customers tend to seek out design services on the go. So the next phase was structuring the website into various pages and enabling each type of customer to access the portfolio according to their interests and needs.

The information architecture became complex in order to accommodate large information systems, but the important part was to make it easy for the client to update the content.

After accomplishing a top-notch experience in terms of usability and responsiveness, we were ready to bring the real artwork into the spotlight.

4 Interviews

+49 Wireframes

4 A/B Tests

2 Prototypes (Desktop / Mobile)

6 Iterations

+60 Detailed UI Screens

We have been extremely inspired by this project and the work of the people we were going to display via this platform.

This meant it was a rather smooth process, even when it came to assessing business needs and tailored solutions for this particular project. Thus, we decided to build the Qub Design website with WordPress and create custom modules for their specific needs.

• The full-screen mode for the exquisite pictures was one of them since we wanted the users to have a compelling experience when admiring the creativity and high-end delivery of each project.
• Another custom feature was providing an outstanding About Us page, where each representative project would be rendered through a visual timeline to reflect the evolution of the business.
• Basically, we ended up with a website that is user-friendly for both our client and the end-customer. However, it still has the looks of a modern-day portfolio, that can easily inspire and lure prospects.

Error Prevention

They say slips happen when you walk on ice and so do errors, especially when the average person has a short attention span. That is why we took every measure to make sure we wow the customers from their first click and help them quickly find their way around.

Website Design

The greatness of Qub Design’s work had to be made visible to art lovers and interior design aficionados at all levels. But in order to create a wow-effect and invoke emotions, we needed to keep the canvas clean. That meant a minimalist approach, with bold typography, little text and lots of visuals.

We designed everything with easy navigation in mind. Therefore we created small navigation links and simple menus in each section to avoid user confusion by saturating the user flow.

Nevertheless, the images were the fundamental ingredients of the website. They are the key feature which, together with functionality, can elicit positive visceral responses from people.

Project Details

Keep the work front and centre

because you don’t want fancy navigation and weird typography on an interior design site. Photography is the key element here.

Stock photography is not an option

This kind of websites are basically portfolios, so it makes perfect sense to highlight the unique features and experience of the company by using their work’s images.

Custom features make the brand stand out

Each company has specific business needs and that is exactly why custom modules can make a huge difference even in WordPress.

Final Thoughts

Building a website for such a passionate design project was both a challenge and an inspiration for us. Nonetheless, we were thrilled to see how the end-result matched their vision and style. The time and creativity we’ve invested in this website massively paid off, as we managed to step up our game and bring precious results for the online business presence of our customer.

Ready to start working on your creative and unique website?

Email us at [email protected]

Call us on 01959 571071, commercial interior design case studies.

Posted on 12th July 2021

At Design and Visual, we are proud of the work we have achieved across the UK to provide our clients with the commercial interiors they have requested for their building and design projects. Here, we have provided a sample of some of our most famous commercial interior design case studies, demonstrating our work to you and assisting you in your considerations of what you need for your own interior design.

If you wish to view a larger selection of our work, please see our Projects page.

Read on to learn more, or contact our offices today if you already know what you need from a team of specialist manufacturers and contractors.

An Office Design Case Study

Location: the walbrook building, cannon street, london.

This futuristic design is one of the largest sites in Central London, and was planned and built as a head office location for a number of different businesses and a range of retailers. We were enlisted to work as specialist glass reinforced gypsum (GRG) contractors for this project, casting bespoke column encasements which accommodated the shape and architectural design of the building, both in its interior and around its exterior.

Our skill and experience resulted in the completion of a complex design with precise requirements, both within time and on budget. This ensured that the clients and the architect received the exact design they’d been hoping for in the way of commercial interiors, including an exact abutment with a window mullion. The plan of the interior and the creation of these pieces provided full exposure to natural daylight, offering a bright working environment for employees.

To learn more about how we achieved this, please see our page on this office space .

A Lobby Design Case Study

Location: yell office, reading.

For the Yell offices in Reading, we were called to provide custom moulded GRG components, forming various diameter dropped circular ceiling features. These were specifically required, as they had previously been chosen as the best material and our fabrication work had been selected as the best method of build to achieve the high quality, architecturally complex finish the architect had requested.

The pieces ordered for this project were used throughout the lobby and restaurant ceiling areas, creating features that are ideal for catching the eyes of visitors as they enter the building and approach the reception desks. To suspend these above the rest of the interior from the existing slab, we also designed and installed a lightweight metal support framework.

If you would like to see pictures or find out more about this project, please see our page .

A Shopping Centre Case Study

Location: o2 shopping centre, london.

For this design project, a number of different GRG features were manufactured and installed across several floors of the shopping centre. We were contracted to cast and install a series of columns in this material on the ground and first floors, as well as the atrium, while installing a curved bulkhead and cladding two escalators. This was all achieved in an interior design style matching the bright, clean existing space.

This project had a unique element in that the retail centre remained open and fully operational while the work was carried out. As professionals with an understanding of the client’s requirements, we did everything we could to ensure our building work did not affect the running of any businesses or the needs of the general public.

For more information and images of this project, please see our page .

A Railway Station Case Study

Location: birmingham new street, birmingham.

The open-plan space of this railway station’s atrium became the setting of our work, which saw the manufacture and installation of several GRG column encasements that featured complex geometric designs. The architect had requested these to provide a dramatic, awe-inspiring walk through the station for passengers and other customers.

The result of this was the elegant, contemporary design that we’d been asked for, and that you may find has become a popular element and theme in the features of many commercial interior design case studies across the UK. The work was achieved with the use of stretched ceiling fabric, as well as the moulded and manufactured GRG encasements we installed.

If you would like more information on the specifications of this project, please see our page.

For Specialist Installations of Commercial Interior Design Ideas

If you are in need of a reliable, experienced firm staffed by master craftsmen and skilled contractors to implement your design ideas for commercial interiors, please contact our offices today. Our team will be fully prepared to discuss your requirements and take note of your specifications before you place your order. We will even be able to assist with your purchase, should you need help selecting the pieces you need to complete your work project.

You can expect a fast, efficient service and no delays in delivery when you choose to work with us, and there will be no gratuitous paperwork to complete either. Instead, you will be guaranteed a series of UK-manufactured products delivered on your schedule and crafted with your needs and ideas in mind.

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Design and Visual Concepts is a recognised expert in the design and manufacture of curved and architecturally complex GRG mouldings for the construction and interior design industries. We manufacture a wide range of bespoke GRG products, from ceilings and bulkheads to wall panels and column encasements. These are often custom designed to meet the requirements […] Read Full Story

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Case Study Houses: The Latest Architecture and News

Defining afro-contemporary homes: the role of case study houses.

The home is a fundamental expression of architectural movements within the fabric of a city. As one of the smallest typologies, it is the simplest canvas to exhibit the design ethos of any particular era. African cities have continuously negotiated the meaning of their residential dwellings, from traditional architecture to colonial architecture, and the influx of post-colonial modern architecture. Vernacular architecture explored homes with spatial patterns rooted in cultural dexterity, envelopes built with indigenous materials and forms, endowed with traditional motifs. These were in stark contrast to colonial homes that featured a range of imported architectural styles across the continent, neglecting their climatic and cultural contexts while amplifying social class.

• Read more »

How Did Materials Shape the Case Study Houses?

The Case Study Houses (1945-1966), sponsored by the Arts & Architecture Magazine and immortalized by Julius Shulman ’s iconic black-and-white photographs, may be some of the most famous examples of modern American architecture in history. Designed to address the postwar housing crisis with quick construction and inexpensive materials, while simultaneously embracing the tenets of modernist design and advanced contemporary technology, the Case Study Houses were molded by their central focus on materials and structural design. While each of the homes were designed by different architects for a range of clients, these shared aims unified the many case study homes around several core aesthetic and structural strategies: open plans, simple volumes, panoramic windows, steel frames, and more. Although some of the Case Study Houses’ materials and strategies would become outdated in the following decades, these unique products and features would come to define a historic era of architectural design in the United States.

Modern, Low-Budget and Easy to Build Living Spaces: the Case Study House Program

Between 1945 and 1966, the Case Study Houses program , following the Weißenhof-siedlung exposition, commissioned a study of economic, easy-to-build houses. The study included the creation of 36 prototypes that were to be built leading up to post-war residential development. The initiative by John Entenza, editor of Arts & Architecture magazine, brought a team to Los Angeles that featured some of the biggest names in architecture at the time, including Richard Neutra , Charles & Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig, and Eero Saarinen , among others.

The program's experiment not only defined the modern home and set it apart from its predecessors, but it also pioneered new construction materials and methods in residential development that continue to influence international architecture to this day. Take a detailed look at some of the program's most emblematic work together with recommendations for facing contemporary challenges. 

When Minimalism Gets Extravagant: A Virtual Look at the Case Study House 17(2)

Arts & Architecture ’s Case Study House program was supposed to be about creating replicable, affordable designs for post-war living—stylish but modest homes for young families on a budget. And then came house #17(2).

To be fair, this house was designed for real clients, with specific and ambitious requirements. The Hoffmans had four children, a household staff, and an art collection. So this was never going to be just another suburban three-bedroom.

A Virtual Look Into J R Davidson's Case Study House #11

The editorial notes on Arts & Architecture ’s 11th Case Study House set out the “basic principles of modern architecture”: an emphasis on “order, fitness and simplicity.” Livability and practicality are key, and “sham” is frowned on. As with other houses in the series, this design by JR Davidson adheres to these goals with clean, horizontal lines, an open floor plan, and integration of the outdoor space.

It’s a modest, compact home, less high-concept than some of the other houses in the programme—no indoor plantings or reflecting pools; no complicated backstory for the imagined clients (think of the next two, #12 and especially #13 )—but arguably more successful in providing a model for the average American home. Its value doesn’t depend on dramatic landscaping or views, but on thoughtful design and attention to solving everyday problems. Walking through Archilogic ’s 3D model reveals the elegance of Davidson’s approach.

A Virtual Look Inside Case Study House #10 by Kemper Nomland & Kemper Nomland Jr

The tenth Case Study House wasn’t actually intended for the Arts & Architecture programme. It was added on its completion in 1947, to fill out the roster, as many houses remained unbuilt. Clearly, the Nomland design earned its place on the list, having many features in common with other Case Study homes and, most importantly, meeting the stated aims of economy, simplicity, new materials and techniques, and indoor/outdoor integration. The different departure point, however, can be seen in the layout. Whereas Case Study homes were designed primarily for families, this plan is for “a family of adults”—which is to say, a childless couple.

The World's First Freeform 3D-Printed House Enters Development Phase

WATG Urban's first prize design for The Freeform Home Design Challenge in 2016 is now moving one step closer to becoming a reality. Since winning the competition, WATG 's Chicago office has been developing the winning design, dubbed Curve Appeal, alongside Branch Technology . Curve Appeal is now undergoing the "wall section testing, research and development phase" with an anticipated goal of breaking ground later this year. This revolutionary project could change the way we construct complex, freeform structures.

A Virtual Look Inside Case Study House #7 by Thornton M Abell

The seventh house in the Arts & Architecture Case Study program was built with real clients in mind: a family of three with creative hobbies. The result, designed by Thornton M Abell , is a flexible home with a distinctive functional character.

The house divides neatly into three separate areas: to the left of the entrance, working spaces make up nearly half of the full floorplan, with living and sleeping areas off to the right and extending forward into the garden. Sliding panels between the roomy central reception/dining area and the cozy living room create the option of privacy or extra space, as required, with the terrace and splash pool beyond offering further possibilities for summer entertaining. A small planting area beside the sliding door blurs the line between indoors and out.

A Virtual Look Inside Case Study House #4, Ralph Rapson’s "Greenbelt House"

The fourth house in Arts & Architecture ’s Case Study program departed from the trend with a noticeably more introverted design. Intended for a modestly sized urban lot, rather than the dramatic and expansive canyon or forest locations of so many other Case Study homes, it couldn’t borrow drama from the landscape, nor would the residents welcome curious glances from their close neighbors—so the house looks entirely inward.

Rapson called his design the “Greenbelt House” for the glass-covered atrium that divides the living and sleeping areas. In his original drawings and model, as in Archilogic ’s 3D model shown here, this strip is shown filled with plant beds in a striking geometric pattern. However, Rapson imagined that it could be put to many uses, according to the residents’ tastes: a croquet court or even a swimming pool could find their place here. This “brings the outdoors indoors” rather more literally than, for instance, Richard Neutra ’s expansive, open-door designs.

A Virtual Look Inside the Case Study House #23A by Killingsworth, Brady & Smith

Only three of the Arts & Architecture Case Study Houses were built outside Los Angeles , and those three formed a united concept. The Triad Houses in La Jolla, a seaside suburb of San Diego , share a single driveway, motor court, and design vocabulary, while being created to meet different needs.

In keeping with the Case Study mission, all three houses used open-plan design, affordable modern materials (such as aluminium and concrete with wood frames), and plenty of glass to create a fresh and open mood. The emphasis was on strong geometric forms, careful detailing, horizontal lines (with perfectly flat roofs) and – this being the Californian coastline – dramatic views and outdoor living space, creating the illusion of more interior space than was actually present.

AD Classics: The Entenza House (Case Study #9) / Charles & Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen & Associates

Nestled in the verdant seaside hills of the Pacific Palisades in southern California, the Entenza House is the ninth of the famous Case Study Houses built between 1945 and 1962. With a vast, open-plan living room that connects to the backyard through floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors, the house brings its natural surroundings into a metal Modernist box, allowing the two to coexist as one harmonious space.

Like its peers in the Case Study Program, the house was designed not only to serve as a comfortable and functional residence, but to showcase how modular steel construction could be used to create low-cost housing for a society still recovering from the the Second World War. The man responsible for initiating the program was John Entenza , Editor of the magazine Arts and Architecture. The result was a series of minimalist homes that employed steel frames and open plans to reflect the more casual and independent way of life that had arisen in the automotive age.[1]

A Virtual Look Inside the Case Study House #3 by William W Wurster & Theodore Bernardi

The third Arts & Architecture Case Study House has a noticeably different sensibility to that of many of the other designs in the series. While equally engaged with the goal of maximizing enjoyment of the natural surroundings, in this design the architects show more concern for privacy and protection.

The approach from the street is somewhat forbidding; aluminum siding presents an impenetrable front. Besides the front and garage doors, the small, high kitchen windows are the only visible openings, though it is possible to peer over the fence of grape stakes into the children’s private garden.

A Virtual Look Inside the Case Study House #2 by Sumner Spaulding and John Rex

The second house in Arts & Architecture magazine’s Case Study Houses program shows the hallmarks of the series: an emphasis on light-soaked living areas, indoor-outdoor living, strong horizontal lines dominated by a flat roof, and so on. It is distinguished, though, by particularly creative details linking the indoor and outdoor areas, and by a strong awareness of function.

A Virtual Look Into Richard Neutra's Case Study House #20, the Bailey House

The Bailey house—one of Richard Neutra ’s four Case Study designs for Arts & Architecture —forms one of five Bluff houses, standing high above the ocean. The brief was to create a low-budget home for a young family, with just two bedrooms, but offering the possibility of expansion as time went by (which did in fact transpire; additional Neutra-designed wings were later built).

Neutra employed the same indoor-outdoor philosophy that can be seen at work in his unbuilt Alpha and Omega houses, using large sliding glass doors to create light and a visual sense of space, as well as ensuring that the house physically opened up to, as he put it, “borrow space from the outdoors.” With this sunny Californian ocean-view setting, it made perfect sense to use the back garden and terrace as living and dining room.

A Virtual Look Inside the Case study house #12 by Whitney R Smith

In designing his (unbuilt) house for the Arts & Architecture Case Study program , Whitney Smith, like Richard Neutra , prioritized the connection to outdoor space. His motivation, however, was more specific than a desire to extend the living area of a small house. Rather, he wanted to create a highly personal space, geared to the passion of his hypothetical client. Seeing conventional plans as a straitjacket for residents who craved appropriate working space within their home (be it a sewing studio or a photography darkroom), he aspired to fit this house to the needs of a keen horticulturist.

A Virtual Look Into Richard Neutra's Unbuilt Case Study House #13, The Alpha House

Of the four homes designed by Richard Neutra for the Case Study Houses program, post-war thought experiments commissioned by Arts & Architecture , only one was ever realized. In the imaginary village of the program's many unbuilt homes, next to #6, the Omega house , stands #13, named Alpha. Archilogic ’s 3D model gives us a unique chance to experience this innovative concept home.

Each of Neutra’s projects was designed for a family of five, and each reveals his psychoanalytic approach to architecture, in which the house itself is an intimate part of family relationships, as important as the personalities involved. (Neutra was personally acquainted with Freud, and a committed follower of birth trauma theorist Otto Rank.) Underlining this Freudian view, his imaginary clients are not just neighbours—they are related; Mrs Alpha being sister to Mrs Omega.

A Virtual Look Into Mies van der Rohe's Core House

Architecture depends on its time. It is the crystallization of its inner structure, the slow unfolding of its form. – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

In 1951, Mies van der Rohe designed the Core House, a participative design structure which could be completed by its inhabitants.

This flexible model challenged certain architectural concepts, explored new industrial technologies, and proposed a modular system to improve the quality and affordability of housing.

Pierre Koenig’s Historic Case Study House #21 Could Be Yours... for the Right Price

One of modernism’s most iconic houses, Case Study House 21 (Bailey House) by Pierre Koenig , is now on sale. The two-bed/two-bath Hollywood Hills landmark has been touted as among the finest of Arts & Architecture Magazine’s Case Study Houses , and one of the program’s few truly experimental projects to explore groundbreaking design and materials.

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