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Analysis Of Le Corbusier's Machine A Habiter

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Technological metaphors have often been used to describe architecture. We are familiar with Le Corbusier’s machine-à-habiter, (machine for living in) concept published in his book “Vers Une Architecture” (Towards An Architecture), in 1923. During this phase of Le Corbusier’s career his architecture was defined by logic and reason. He believed that architecture should be as efficient as a factory assembly line. In 1914 he developed one of his most famous housing prototypes, the Maison Dom-ino (Dom-ino House) a prototype for the mass production of housing that included an open floor plan consisting of concrete slabs supported by a minimal number of thin, reinforced concrete columns around the edges, with a stairway providing access to each level on one side of the floor plan. Soon after, Le Corbusier was developing more standardized housing 'types ' like the 'Immeuble-villa ' (materialized with the Pavilion de l 'Esprit Nouveau of 1925), the Maison Citrohan (a play on words suggesting the building industry should adopt the methods of the mass production automobile industry), which he hoped would solve the chronic housing problems of industrialized countries. Le Corbusier’s approach although innovative and fundamental to the field of architecture, and the education of every architect, is constrained by its logic. Meaning that logic and reason although essential to design are not the only elements that shape architecture, therefore these prototypes are

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