Eames House Conservation Project

Advancing conservation and management of modern sites by modeling investigative techniques and conservation approaches at the Eames House

Project Details

A rectangular modern home sits under the shade of eucalyptus trees

The Eames House, as photographed by Julius Shulman in 1950.

Photo: J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Research Library at the Getty Research Institute (2004.R.10)

About

Goal

The Eames House and Studio, designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1949, is an internationally renowned work of modern architecture. The Eames House Conservation Project aims to support the maintenance and management of this iconic modern house, its landscape, and its collection through hands-on investigations and improvement projects, as well as through development of a conservation management plan to guide its ongoing care.

Outcomes

  • A Conservation Management Plan to provide a framework for the ongoing care and management of the Eames House
  • Investigation, analysis, and treatment of specific materials and building systems at the Eames House to meet immediate conservation needs and guide long-term maintenance
  • Interior and exterior environmental monitoring at the Eames House to understand environmental and physical conditions affecting the house's interior and its contents, leading to recommendations for environmental improvements
  • Condition and simple risk assessments of the residence’s contents with mitigation strategies designed
  • Historical and technical research, a visual condition assessment, investigation and testing of replacement materials, and material testing and characterization of the residence’s Cemesto panels
  • Program and panel discussion on the first phase of investigations and conservation work presented to the public at Getty Center, January 2015
  • Conservation Management Plan received a Preservation Design Award from California Preservation Foundation in 2019 and a Modernism in America award from Docomomo US in 2020
  • Presentations on the Conservation Management Plan and investigations delivered at seven regional, national, and international conferences

Background

Approach

Project History

Project Team

Chandler McCoy, Project Manager, Senior Project Specialist; César Bargues Ballester, Associate Project Specialist; Susan Macdonald, Head, Buildings and Sites; Gail Ostergren, Research Specialist

Partner

The Charles and Ray Eames House Preservation Foundation, Inc.

Contact the Team

Resources