Towards A New Arhitecture

A collection of essays by Le Corbusier, translated by Frederick Etchells. Original name is 'Vers une Architecture'. Published in 1923, in L'esprit Nouveau magazine. Original language is french and the content is mainly about modern architecture, how to achieve it and understand it. 

About Le Corbusier; He is a influental swiss architect and city planner whose designs combine the functionalism of the modern movement with a bold, sculptural expression. He lived between 1887-1965.His most famous works are Villa Savoye and the city he designed in India, Chandigarh

His most remarkle work is 'Les 5 point d'une architecure'.  The 5 points are; 1) The pilotis, elevating the mass off the groung.

2)The free plan, achieved through the separation of the load-bearings columns from the walls subdividing the space.

3)The free facade, the corollary of the free plan in the vertical plane.

4)The long horizontal sliding window

5)The roof garden, restoring supposedly the are of ground covered by the house

In brief; Le Corbusiers points for modern architecture emphasizes the importance of functionality in form. 

In introduction, the idea of modern architecture is processed to be extremely related to engineering,To understand the concept of modern architecture we must get into the culture of engineering. Two professions are compared; engineers and artist. And what is formed by these two professions is architecture. The purpose of engineering is functionality, corresponding demands adn creating forms that are concerning todays needs and still create something plastically pleasing. But when it comes to artists, they dont have a restriction about epoch's needs or concerns. They could go overboard and create a form ahead of their time not worrying about it being plastically good. 

"The house is a machine for living in." says Le Corbusier. Architectures properties are associated with a mechanical system. Basis of designing architecture is through the establishment of standards , that are stated by engineers, when designing a living space. The establishment of  standard is necessary in defining the performancec of architecture that will benefit the well being of users.

Arrangement of forms is established by Economy and by mathematical calculation. And these give the architect an order, an accordance to world. A plan is needed, neccesity for order helps understand the architectural process. "Standards are a matter of logic,analysis and minute study." to reach this standard, one should experience.  Engineering and architecture withstand early ages of man, people created architecture and used engineering unawares. People live in plastically failed houses, which affects their mental health, that is why architecture is important. Its not only came across in building form but everywhere in our daily lives. With engineering, they create a harmony. 

Three Reminders to Architects are mass, surface and plan. These are all tied together with a standard, The idea of standard in architecture was developed by Le Corbusier through his project Maison Citrohan. The name Citrohan is extremely similar to automobile Citroen. Le Corbusier sees the process of making a house should be like the process of making a plane or a automobile. Everything should follow a certain dimension. This standardization will make the cost cheaper and as Le Corbusier mentions, standards will create a list of requirements for a living space.

I was interested in the text since my major is civil engineering. I understand more about the connection between engineers and architects. An engineers job is to create the standardization that is shaped by physics and mathematical values, to create a form that is stable and usable and functional. This form will eventually be plastically good according to Le Corbusiers standards. While creating this form, an engineer is not fixed at the result being beautiful or satisfying to the eye. They are only interested in the necessity, the system being in equilibrium state so that it wont collapse. An architect will work with this standard and the end result will be plastically good and is good for human health. 

architecture to function or perform appropriately to achieve human comfort and health and hygiene.

Thus the idea of human needs which Le Corbusier mentioned by establishing the standards about human needs were related to basic physiological needs. These human needs are requirements for well being.Le Corbusier stated standards that are more important than others like physiological needs. He recommends a certain living with no clutter and a particular taste in art. "Put only a few pictures and none but the good ones. Keep your odds and ends in drawers or cabinets." 

The foundation of standards that are important to architecture as a machine could be understood as his attempts to procreate architecture as a system to fulfill the needs of human being.