2nd year architectural technology 2011

CTD exercise 4

16.06.2011 Concrete framed residential structures: Villa Savoye, by le Corbusier Built for the Savoye family in 1928 – 1931, Villa Savoye was the last of a series of white houses by le Corbusier. It was modeled along the lines of the foundation of most of his architecture from around the 1920’s and onwards – the “Dom-ino” house. This idea/model proposed an open floor plan with consisting of concrete floor slabs supported by a minimal number of thin columns around the edges, with a staircase leading through the levels.

Villa Savoye in particular, summed up his “five points of architecture” most completely: the main structure is lifted off the ground, supporting it by reinforced concrete stilts or better known as pilotis, which forms the primary structure. The floor slabs form the secondary structure. The free façade; non-bearing walls which could be arranged as pleased, and the open floor plan which could be made into rooms without much concern placement of load-bearing walls, which form the tertiary structure and method of enclosure. The use of strip windows, and finally the roof garden, to compensate for the green area taken by the site and replacing it on the roof. Image left: the “Dom-ino” house sketch. Image at:

The Savoye family lived in the house until 1940. And during the Second World War, the house was first occupied by the Germans and then the Allies. WW2 left the building seriously damaged, and then came into possession of the town Possy, which used it as a youth center and would have demolished it if not for the protests of architects with support from le Corbusier where after it was refurbished.

Image left: me playing Call of Duty 2, where buildings similar to Villa Savoye were used as hard points and places of refuge as well as stores for ammunition and supplies. Image right: connect.in.com. This was Villa Savoye after WW2 during refurbishment. It is easy to see why demolition was a quick option but refurbishment took place, keeping the building as close to its original state as possible.

Yusuf Sampson 210044594 References:

M. Rodseth, Principles of Structure in buildings, .PDF http://architypes.net/place/villa-savoye connect.in.com

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

*Interesting fact: the integrated semicircular driveway around the ground floor is the exact turning radius of a Citroen of that time.

The plan shows the position of the columns/pilotis and shows hidden, in-slab beams as well as the exposed beams all in relation to the grid. The significance of this is that the columns on the first floor fall on the same positions as the ones below, so the forces are transmitted directly downwards through the columns. This arrangement of the primary structure allows for the free placement of internal walls.

LEGEND:

1. Grid. 2. Columns / pilotis. 3. Exposed beams. 4. Hidden in-slab beams. 5. Cantilevered slab above. 6. External walls. 7. Internal walls. 8. Ramp. 9. Staircase

*as this is a structural exercise, I have not annotated rooms/ spaces.

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The section shows the position of the columns/pilotis and the exposed beams all in relation to the grid. The significance of this is that the columns on the first floor fall on the same positions as the ones below, so the forces are transmitted directly downwards through the columns. This arrangement of the primary structure allows for the free placement of internal walls.

LEGEND:

10. Grid. 11. Columns / pilotis. 12. Exposed beams. 13. Hidden in-slab beams. 14. Cantilevered slab above. 15. External walls. 16. Internal walls. 17. Ramp. 18. Staircase

SECTION