PIED A TERRE (a la maniere de Corbu)

ARCHITECTURAL IMAGINATION CHAPTER 7 (a study material) 

by Sausan P (S-OTTH) 
icdore.post@gmail.com

This study material is actually one of the assignments from the Architectural Imagination by HARVARDX course available on the EDX platform. I only studied architecture for one semester, and never continued because of financial problems. So, learning what I love through digital literacy is my ninja way. One of the ways is to learn from online platforms, especially those that offer courses with free scholarships to study it. I completed this course on February 14 2023 and received a certificate with a total grade of 94/100. 

The design of this villa is made in "à la manière de Corbu" (in the Le Corbusier style). This villa contains elements of Le Corbusier's Dom-ino and Five Points, namely pilotis, free plan, free façade, ribbon window and roof garden. 

Nine pilotis with a diameter of 20 cm (a mistake, the size is too small, it should be 30 cm) stand to create symmetry with the function of lifting structural loads. The strength of reinforced concrete in columnar or pilotis structures and floor slabs allows for a free floor plan. 

Free façades supporting walls as sheer membranes or free coverings, make it possible to create large window openings on the ground floor, second and third floors (panels of glass to cover walls in quarter or semicircle shapes or giant rectangle). 

Because the outer membrane is no longer load-bearing, windows can span the entire wall e.g. ribbon windows and glassless openings in the corner of second floor. 

And finally, the conversion of the use of the roof/attic as a roof garden which is useful for various activities such as healing, relaxing, or exercising.

This site is 10 m x 10 m wide, and has a total of 4 floors. Here are some descriptions of the spaces on each floor:

(a)   On the ground floor there is a terrace that can be used for transportation and car parking purposes. Then enter through the main door —the entrance door is a twin door with a small glass window to look through—, so there is a room as a foyer or an entrance hall which is used as a living room to welcome guests. There is a large glass window in the corner of the foyer, which forms a semicircular corner. In addition, there is a utility room for storing various tools. For vertical circulation, there are stairs leading to the first floor (the original intention was to build a ramp, but the slope was too steep). The stairs are enclosed by walls, so it feels like climbing a cave.

(b)   On the first floor there is a lounge for relaxing with a single sofa and a piano, bedroom 1 plus bedroom 2, and each of these rooms is decorated with ribbon windows. In addition, there is a bathroom. For vertical circulation, there is a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. 

(c)   On the second floor there is a kitchen, dining area and living room which are not separated by walls. The living room is equipped with a chimney with a hole that penetrates to the third floor above. On the west side of the living room there is also a large glass window almost as big as the wrapping wall. There is a small toilet room equipped with a washing machine. Ribbon windows adorn the north and south sides of the house. At the north and west corners—the wrapper of the space of an open terrace that can function as a veranda—there are glassless openings. For vertical circulation, there is a spiral staircase leading to the third floor. On the north side of the stairs, there is a wrapper wall decorated with a large glass window that curves around the arc, so that sunlight can hit the staircase area.

(d)   On the third floor there is a roof that functions as a roof garden. There is a room with an exit from a spiral staircase, which within an arc around the spiral staircase are also covered with large glass windows. The wooden exit door has a small glass window for peeking through. Planters are also found on the ground and second floors, but most are on the third floor.

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