Residential Architecture

Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto, and Mies Van der Rohe and their contributions to the residential scale.

Le Corbusier

The most straightforward of the three, Le Corbusier had a very straightforward approach.  His infamous "Five Points of Architecture" create a checklist of elements that one can find time and time again in his work.

1. Pilotis
2. Free Facade
3. Open Floor Plan
4. Roof Garden
5. Long Window of the Facade

The pilotis were the first and most important aspect of Corbusier's residences.  They elevated and provided a framework for the house.  These were reinforced concrete stilts that created the skeleton for the house. The next four elements are intermixed.  One need not come before the other, however, all are intertwined and create the language of Le Corbusier.


The free facade is an envelope of non supporting walls. These walls hang along the exterior of the building and accommodate the architect's needs.  Along this facade, a long window needs to be incorporated.  This allows a cascading of light into the spaces within the building. These long bars of windows create a unique ambiance within Corbusier's spaces.  The open floor plan is achieved because of the skeleton that is created by the pilotis.  Load bearing walls are not to be placed within the interior of the structure.  As a result, simple dividing walls are placed to create a variety of different spaces.  Last, but not least, the roof garden. Unfortunately, these frequently look as if they are simply balconies with plants dropped in.  His intentions were good with these spaces, however, they simply do not appear to have been given as much thought as some other spaces within his buildings. 


In addition to his Five Points, Le Corbusier was influenced by the concept of purism and modularity.  He was interested in the aesthetic of the machine and how the basic forms inspired and created movement.  He loved pure proportion and clean geometries.  Color was secondary to form and the golden ratio was the ideal shape.


The golden section influenced many architects in France at this time, and like many of them, Le Corbusier could not help but experiment in how it could create custom modularities for the masses. 

 Maison Domino:  This rendering of the structure helps to express the idea of the pilotis and how they were so fundamental to the structure.

Villa Stein: A clear display of the long band of windows along the facade as well as a peek onto the roof garden from below.  Beautiful development of purism.

Villa Savoye:  Another display of the pilotis and how they elevate the structure and are fundamental to the framework.  Various photos help to illustrate the machine and create movement within this interesting form.

 Alvar Aalto

A man of many trades, Alvar Aalto showcased his talents in glassware, furniture making, jewelry, as well as architecture. He reflected the Scandinavian craft in all of these works, but in his architecture he adopted minimalism and it's pure form, incorporated industrial and natural materials, made sure his creation respected the climate as well as the landscape, and used many curvilinear forms.

His work can boil down to two main things: 

the Indigenous Building + the Modern Design Language.

Baker House: Boston, MIT.  Aalto distributes the private and communal elements within the serpentine form.  It contrasted the sleekeness of buildings in America at this time, and was something that Aalto took great pride in.

Finlandia Hall:  This concert hall definitely reflects Le Corbusier's work.  The pilotis appear across the bottom giving it the sense of floating.  Also along the "free facade," the band of windows appears. Not exactly to the expression of Corbusier's, but they do have the banded effect because of their repetition.

Mies Van der Rohe

 

Mies' response to the built environment of residential architecture all came down to, "reduce every problem to essential simplicity." He wished to enclose the various functions of day to day life into a series of cubic containers as well as articulate the buildings in a response to the fluidity of life. In addition to these main points, another vital thing that Van der Rohe believed was that the relationship between the craftsman and his product had not been destroyed by the machine. This set him apart from many.

Haus Lange:  In this building, the attempts to define activities within cubes is very apparent. At the same time, Mies' approach to the fluidity of life is also successfully achieved, so much that this space now is used for galas and art shows. 

Tugendhat House: The plan repeats what is shown in his Barcelona Pavillion, and also utilizes many expensive materials in both projects.  The hillside allows for a dynamic play on the "cubes of activity."

Brick Country House:  This project was never completed, but shows the evolution of Van der Rohe's thoughts.  He moves from the clear defined cubes into a more fluid movement that quite literally flows into the landscape.  The plan holds spaces as opposed to grasping them.  His three dimensional interpretation was not quite as successful as his two dimensional, but given more time and energy, this could have been a very interesting compilation.