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Source: Ventura County Star, Calif.迷你倉Sept. 19--From the entryway of the house, a visitor can see straight through decorative iron gates to a square courtyard with its centerpiece swimming pool.More than 4,000-square-feet of glass, shaded by overhangs, are set into the steel frame of the single story, square-shaped house with a brick face.John and Carol Bowden call it home. Federal, state and conservation officials call it historic.This summer, the Bowdens' Thousand Oaks home -- officially known as Case Study House 28 -- was one of 10 Case Study houses listed in the National Register of Historic Places after more than a decade of effort by the Los Angeles Conservancy's modern committee. The houses also were listed on the California Register of Historical Resources.The designations are a hard-fought win and point of pride for the Conservancy, which nominated the properties, and likely made the day of modern architecture fans and history buffs."These were highly influential homes," said Adrian Scott Fine, the conservancy's director of advocacy.But what the designations mean in practical terms for an owner often leads to confusion."The basic thing about it, it comes with no restrictions or prohibitions whatsoever," said Jay Correia, senior state historian at California State Parks. "It's an inventory of property that deserves to be recognized. I've likened it to getting a passport stamped."The Case Study houses were built as part of an experimental housing program funded by Arts + Architecture magazine between 1945 and 1966. The magazine commissioned architects who would become some of field's biggest names, such as Richard Neutra and Charles and Ray Eames. They were asked to come up with creative residential designs that could be duplicated and accessible to average people.Case Study House 28 was the program's last single-family home built in 1966 and the only one in Ventura County. It's also one of the largest at 4,500 square feet.Fine said the houses' influenced the look and feel of residential design across the country and internationally.The conservancy helps save historic places like the Case Study Houses and to raise awareness about the structures that tell the story of the Los Angeles region.Carol Bowden fell in love with the house the first time she saw it 25 years ago. The previous owners shared media coverage dating back to 1966 that describes the house's importance. When the Bowdens purchased it in 1987, the design was out of fashion but it was special to them.The Bowdens did not seek to get their home nominated to the national and state register. But they did not formally object, which would have halted the conservancy's efforts.They shied away from raising the profile of the house that is in a gated community."We agree it's a very unique house," Carolmini storageBowden said. "The listing doesn't mean much to us. We value the house for what it is, not anything wonderful it was. I fell in love with the house. I saw it as a work of art."The home, designed by architects Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman, features walls of single paned glass that makes it hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The couple looked at getting double paned glass but the individual panels would not fit into the steel frame.The Bowdens previously installed refrigerated air conditioning to replace antiquated gas water chillers. They also put in solar panels on the roof. A Palm Springs company had to remove the roof's asphalt and gravel and replace it with white foam.Preservation advocates say the house's placement on the national and state register should not hinder the couple from doing more work. Any regulations would be at the local level."It's largely honorific," said Fine, the conservancy director of advocacy. "It really doesn't tie an owner's hands in anyway. The whole idea of this grouping of houses is placing them on the (register) for long-overdue recognition. A lot of people thought this had happened already."Thousand Oaks does not have an ordinance regarding preservation. However, there is an ordinance pertaining to local landmarks and historic places, Deputy Community Development Director Mark Towne said.Properties on the state register are protected by the California Environmental Quality Act. The work on the property is required to undergo environmental review when it would impair the historical significance of the home.Demolition, destruction, relocation, or extreme alterations would damage the significance, according to the California Natural Resource Agency.Ventura County has a Cultural Heritage Board that develops and enforces guidelines for local historic districts, landmarks, points of interest, sites of merit, and potentially eligible historic resources, according to the county's website.The board also establishes and evaluates potential cultural heritage sites.If a local building on the national register needs a permit to do massive work, the city where it's located can contract with the Cultural Heritage Board to review the project.Nicole Dorner, a county senior planner, who works with the board and provided comment on the nomination of Case Study House 28 says the home is unique."It is unusual because I think it's younger than 50 years old," Dorner said, adding that it's exceptionally significant. "If it's younger than 50 years, it is significant and unusual."On mobile: View a map of national and state recognized historic locations around Ventura CountyCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) Visit Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) at .vcstar.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesself storage