The United States emerged victorious from W.W 2. As a result, fans of modernism had every reason to be optimistic. The time, had finally come for them, to implement modernism’s ideas about mass production of prefabricated houses. It was then, that the editor of the Arts and Architecture magazine, John Entenza, grabbed the chance, to announce the Case Study Houses Program. The magazine would present and construct houses that were supposed to act as patterns for duplication. Unfortunately, constructors like Levitt, proved to be much more efficient in reducing both the cost and the construction time of a house. As a result, C.S.P ultimately failed to participate in the construction of the suburbs. It did a great job however, in promoting the experimental glass houses, that some of the most capable American architects created.
The quest for a complete scenario of habitation that would allow for the extensive use of glass, monopolized the interest of the architects that participated in the program. Searching for ideas in the work of the great masters of modernism was indeed inevitable. The main concept of Usonia I, the residence of Herbert Jacobs designed by Wright in 1930, was quickly adopted by most of the C.S.P architects. This residence turns its back to the street, in order to maintain privacy, and presents a glass elevation to the opposite direction, in search of the magnificent view of the prairie. Is it possible to combine this attitude towards the surrounding environment, with the glass pavilions – houses of the European masters ? In C.S.P they tried everything ! From the transformation of villa Savoye into an introspective residence with a greenbelt, to the transformation of Barcelona pavilion into a residence, on top of a hill, that oversees the surrounding area.
This blending of ideas and forms, of different origins, combined with the fast conversion of the natural surrounding environment into a built environment, led to the most cinema - friendly modern residence, the Stahl House.