Taking a Stand: 8 Raised Residences That Channel Le Corbusier

Since Swiss-French modernist architect Le Corbusier wrote his seminal “Five Points Towards a New Architecture” in 1926, the discipline has seen countless interpretations of modernism and an ever-diversifying range of trends throughout the postmodernist period. The following series of contemporary homes all follow at least the very first of Le Corbusier’s foundational principles: the supports.

Le Corbusier wrote about several principles pertaining to the design of architectural supports, including their engineering and spacing, but a particularly influential aspect of his work was in proposing that pilotis take the place of foundation walls. These pilotis were to be designed to elevate the first floor of the building, such that “the rooms are thereby removed from the dampness of the soil; they have light and air; the building plot is left to the garden, which consequently passes under the house.”

This principle is perhaps most apparent in the architect’s own designs for private villas, like the Villa Savoye in Poissy, France. Both following in the Corbusian tradition and adapting it for contemporary conditions, this series of private homes each use pilotis to make the first floor appear to hover above the ground.

CYIN by archi LAB.t+m, Asahikawa, Japan

This two-story family home was elevated on pilotis to minimize snow accumulation and to open up the ground plane under the house, so it could be used as a winter garden. The pilotis serve to both free the space under the volume and frame the winter garden.

The Curving House by JOHO Architecture, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

The Curving House was designed in part as a solution to the problem of parking several cars on the narrow lot. Elevating the house on concrete pilotis freed up the building’s footprint for parking multiple cars and additionally created space for a small garden.

CARBONE WOOD by BERTIN BICHET, Plougonvelin, France

Built on a site with a steep hill, CARBONE WOOD straddles the change in elevation from the street level. To provide direct access from the street and access to the natural site, the home is raised onto pilotis, with parking and an entryway beneath.

House in Sakado by LEVEL Architects, Sakado, Japan

In order to integrate the homeowners’ two luxury vehicles into the design of the house, LEVEL Architects elevated the home from the ground plane on pilotis. As such, the cars become part of the building-façade when they are parked beneath the living space. In between the two parking spaces an entry-stair and foyer lead to the upper level.

Porchdog [Tyler Residence] by Marlon Blackwell Architect, Biloxi, Miss., United States

Built as part of Architecture for Humanity’s Model Home Program, the Porchdog Residence is designed as a model for affordable housing on the Gulf Coast, particularly for areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Porchdog Residence is raised on pilotis to 11 feet above ground level, a precaution in a region prone to flooding.

MOOSE ROAD RESIDENCE by Mork Ulnes Architects, Ukiah, Calif., United States

Designed to frame views of three distinct natural formations, MOOSE ROAD RESIDENCE’s construction intervenes minimally on the site. The house is raised on steel stilts in order to maintain the site’s slope and to preserve the root-system of the adjacent oak tree.

Villa S by Saunders Architecture, Bergen, Norway

Designed on the last remaining plot of Leif Grung’s masterplan for Tveiterås Garden City, Villa S was designed to make a statement amongst the suburb’s modernist villas and respect the architect’s vision for the neighborhood. As the plot on which Villa S is built was designated to be a park, Saunders Architecture elevated the building on pilotis, opening up the ground plane to be landscaped in the spirit of Grung’s allocation for the site.

Troll Hus by Mork Ulnes Architects, Placer County, Calif., United States

At an elevation of 6,800 feet, the Pacer County site on which Troll Hus was built can receive snowfalls of more than 800 inches per season. To protect against the snowfall the house was designed in the vernacular of an alpine chalet, but elevated on concrete pilotis, creating a covered outdoor space and simultaneously maximizing solar exposure.