The Wilheim House :: Pierre Koenig, 1961-62. Designed in the Brentwood hills for the Wilheim family in 1961, Case Study architect Pierre Koenig created a design up to that time unusual for him but more in keeping with the desire of his clients to use natural materials: He clad this steel-framed house in the warm woods of the facade, planked ceilings, and exposed beams. The T-shaped floorplan easily segments the kitchen, dining, and living areas by extending the great room into the garden. This wing, along with its spare wooden loggia, creates a courtyard to frame the swimming pool. The remaining wing consists of two guest bedrooms and bath. The glass-enclosed stairway leads to the primary bedroom which, with its ensuite bath, overlooks the pool court and hillside. Additional elements include a media or den area, separate dining terrace, powder room, and an ingenious carport. In this house, Koenig emphasizes one of his core beliefs that architecture must serve not only to shelter but to improve our lives. Quoted many decades later in 'Modern Magazine' Jeri Wilheim said, "For us, it was always a house filled with happiness."

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