The Villa Savoye floor plan is a great starting point if you want to bring modern ideas into everyday living. Designed by the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier in the late 1920s, this white house in Poissy, France sits lifted above the ground and still inspires designers, architects and homeowners today. In this guide, you’ll find six timeless ideas from the villa that you can use when building a new home or refreshing your space.
Open Plan Concept
An open layout is one of the most defining features of a Villa Savoye plan. It challenges the traditional concept of boxed-in room for a flowing floor plan where the dining area, living room and outdoor terrace blend seamlessly. While modern houses are increasingly adopting open style living, this concept wasn’t much in vogue back in 1920s. You can adopt the open plan concept by minimizing partitions and interior walls as much as possible. Zones can be easily defined by subtle floor level changes, and clever use of lighting and furniture. Reducing the usage of physical walls helps encourage interaction and promotes airiness in an open concept home.
Elevated Living Spaces
Le Corbusier was a proponent of enjoying the surrounding view. This is why he lifted the entire Villa Savoye on pilotis. Adapting this concept freed the ground, ushered in natural lighting and improved air circulation. Coming to a modern Villa Savoye floor plan, elevation can be added either through a split-level layout, rooftop terrace or raised main floor. This idea can be a life-saver if you reside in floor prone areas. The combination of tall ceilings and slightly raised floors having maximum use of glass can make your space look dignified while you enjoy panoramic views straight from your home.
Integrating A Terrace Or Roof Garden
The flat roof of Villa Savoye doubles up as additional outdoor living space. You can utilise it as a deck or rooftop garden for serving as an entertainment area or tranquil retreat. For making the space more sustainable you can add green roofing systems, weather-proof furnishings and lightweight planters. An internal staircase offers direct access to this place.
Horizontal Window Bands
Villa Savoye made extensive use of ribbon windows running across the facade. This Villa Savoye floor plan can help spread natural light in your living zone while offering unfiltered views of the surroundings. Horizontal window bands can be installed in bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens for enhancing spatial continuity. You can invest in energy-efficient glasses for controlling heat dissipation and offering optimum privacy. It’s advisable to consider the spread of natural light while deciding the furniture layout and floor plan orientation.
Blending Aesthetics & Functionality
Le Corbusier focused on building a highly functional home without sacrificing on its beauty aspect. You can bring such a Villa Savoye floor plan to life by incorporating built-in furniture that minimises visual clutter. Smart home features like motion sensor lighting can help minimize energy consumption. Usually these lights are battery powered and can help you overcome the need for separately installing wires.
Amping Up The Entryway Experience
Entryways are the most striking aspect of a Villa Savoye floor plan. Here the cars curve around to the entrance by driving under the pilotis. You should design the entryway should be designed using architectural gestures such as a framed view, or curved wall. The aim here should be to build anticipation as guests enter your premises.
Conclusion
The openness and clarity of a Villa Savoye floor plan challenges us to rethink modern living. You can easily create homes that are both sustainable and functional by infusing contemporary elements to Le Corbusier’s vision.
