Buff, Smith and Hensman

He served in the navy during World War II, as a parachute rigger in the South Pacific, and entered the USC architecture program by way of the GI Bill.

But prior to their collaboration with Straub, Buff and Hensman were designers of tract homes for a number of regional developers.

He was eventually made assistant professor within USC's design curriculum and was chairman of the joint USC/American Institute of Architects education committee.

He created an important body of work as the senior partner of Buff Straub and Hensmen, both previous students at USC.

His work was widely published in Sunset Magazine and considered highly influential in shaping the vision iconography of the post-World War II contemporary southern Californian style.

His desert residence continued and extended the legacy of "design with climate" that he had begun decades again in southern California and preceded the now popular "green movement" in architecture by some 30 years.

Gallion before entering into a partnership with Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman (1956–61), and was a member of Schoneburger, Straub, Florence & Associates (1972–75).

In 1948, while both attending the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture and working together designing tract and model homes (but prior to beginning their practice), Buff and Hensman were asked by the Dean of the School of Architecture to take over the teaching duties left by the death of a senior professor.

This meant that both Buff and Hensman were at the same time working professionals, students and teachers, all before being licensed or graduating.

Despite thorough engineering calculations, the architects were not awarded a building permit until a sample plywood vault had been temporarily erected and loaded with weights.