Buff & Hensman

Buff & Hensman, founded by USC graduates Conrad Buff III and Donald Hensman, were preeminent architects of the California mid-century modern movement. Practicing from 1952 through the late 1990s, the firm designed over 200 significant residential projects, with a heavy concentration in Pasadena and the Los Angeles area. They are celebrated for their sophisticated use of post-and-beam wood construction, floor-to-ceiling glazing, and an uncompromising commitment to indoor-outdoor integration. Their defining work, Case Study House #20, exemplifies their ability to create light-filled, airy spaces that responded to the Southern California climate. Buff & Hensman's legacy is one of architectural soulmates who elevated the modern home, leaving behind a portfolio of masterworks that continue to define the region's modernist residential heritage.