Villa Savoye in the making

These photographs are just random shots which show us working on the model in the studios. They are mostly my pictures taken while I was working on the project.

Initial Exploration of the space using PARTI & POCHE diagrams

These were very basic sketches which I made in the 1st week to get the feel of the space. Before making the model it was necessary for me to draw tiny parti plans of the different levels in order to understand the organisation and circulation better. Poche plan, which was rendered by shadowing and using correct dimensons unlike the partis gave a sense of scale and was more focused on the 'reality' of the villa.

Le Corbusier's 5 Points of Architecture

Le Corbusier's 5 points of Modern Architecture were incorporated into the design of Villa Savoye. They are as follows:

1. Pilotis or ground level supporitng columns. In this case it elevated the building and provided garage space and utilities room.
2. A flat roof, the terrace for this house. It could be used as a garden area and a solarium between curved walls on the roof.
3. The free plan, which in this case was possible due to the absence of load bearing walls. The exposed columns were the key structural elements in this villa design.
4. Horizontal windows which were present all around the house. These allowed for natural lighting and ventilation.
5. The freely designed facade. Since Corbusier was not bothered about load bearing considerations, he could play around with the placement of walls and openings creating a unique design.

Villa Savoye in Pictures

The History of Villa Savoye

The Villa Savoye was built by Le Corbusier in 1929, at a location few kilo metres outside of Paris called Poissy. The owners of the house were Emilie and Pierre Savoye and their son. This was to be a weekend house for the wealthy Jewish family. They wanted a weekend retreat for relxation and enjoyment of the countryside scenery. Le Corbusier at that time was driven by his ideas about making a house purely functional, mechanical and minimalistic. He wanted to make the ultimate modern villa which would serve its purpose as a holiday retreat, as well as embrace technology into its structural build up. It was to be the early 20th century's "Machine for Living".

This house which fell into the clasps of urban decay was restored from 1965 onwards. It was severely damaged during WWII. Even before the war started the owners eventually abandoned the house in the late 1930's as structural faults started appearing. They declared it uninhabitable due to multiple leakages around the building and threatened to sue Le Corbusier.

However inspite of the technical faults, this villa's design was way ahead of its time.

Image: Villa Savoye before restoration.

Design Studio 3, Project 1, VILLA SAVOYE

ARCH 1201

Project 1

Building: Villa Savoye

Architect: Le Corbusier

Location: Poissy, France

Timeline: 1929 - 1930 building period. Restored 1965 onwards.

Design Style: Modernism, International Style

Owners: Pierre & Emilie Savoye