Project1 - Villa Muller

There are several trees outside Villa Muller.There are treess at both of the stairs that going to the entrance of the house. It's like a covering of the entrance.

The external walls are hatch with grids. It is to represent the structural walls of the house.The internal walls are hatch in solid. It is to divide the space inside of the house.

Soical hierarchy is a important issue in Villa Muller. In order to define the space clearly, I have rendered th plan in colours according to the social hierarchy. The sharper color means a higher social hierarchy. For example, on the 3rd floor, the main hall is in sharper colour than the anteroom and conversation room, the pantry ,cloak room and entrace are in the lowest social hierarchy.

The understand of the meaning of colour is different in different culture, different age groups, even in different individuals. So I have drawn a vertical colour spectrum on the right hand side of the plan, I hope this can overcome the problem mention above.

Using computer to render is of course easier ,but it would lost the texture of the paper and you will get a different feeling looking at a hand draw plan.You can feel the texture of paper, you can see the parts that I press the paper harder and lighter when I render. I think this represent a process of understanding and reinterpretation of the plans.

Circulations is the space the people in the house can freely move and get access from a room to another room, even to another floor,such as the corridor and stairs. To differentiate the circulation path and the rooms, I 've rendered the circulation by pencil. They are clearly shown in all the plans and section.

Social hierarchy is also important in 4th floor. The main hall and dining room are in sharpest colour, the next hierarchy level is boudoir and library.The kitchen and preparation room are in lowest hierarchy level.

The plans are drew in high detail, because even the thin and inconspicuous lines are important. In the dining room and boudoir,which is the room next to library, there are lines 1mm off the wall, they represent the wood lining(dark mahogany wood) of the wall , it is used to reveals a view of Prague which confirms a reciprocity between the city and the house. (Aldo Rossi,Adolf Loos-theory and works(Milano: Ideae,1982),74.)

Dotted lines in the plan represent the thing that is of over-head's height but it is not placed on the floor. In the library, the dotted lines represent the open beams on the ceiling, the beams act like long mirrors which is divided into squares and reflect the light from a side window. (Aldo Rossi,Adolf Loos-theory and works(Milano: Ideae,1982),74.)

Social hierarchy is also clearly defined in the 5th floor. The master bedrooom room is in highest social hierarchy , because it is used by the master in the house. It is followed by the children's bedroom and children's playroom. The guest rooom and servant room is in the lowest hierarchy.

The most prominent feature is the reproposition of the typological scheme of the house : a clear separation between public( on 3rd floor and 4th floor) and private zone ( on 5th floor).This reproposition increase the chance of it responding to specific requirements by adapting the shape of the spaces to particular function. For the meaning of function here is understood in the wider sense that includes the dialectics of psychological needs and desires. (Roberto Schezen, Adolf Loos architecture 1903-1932(New York:The Monacelli Press,1996), 201)

To separate the public and prviate zone, I have render the 3rd floor and 4th floor in warm colour- to represent a public space ; the 5 th floor in cold colour - to represent a private space. You can refer the colour to the horizontal colour spectrum on the right hand side. The dining room,which faces onto the living room, extends beyond the wall, creating the projecting volumn on the outside that has been spoken of. There is a link between the dining room and the two-story high main hall below.(Roberto Schezen, Adolf Loos architecture 1903-1932(New York:The Monacelli Press,1996), 203)

The visual connection in the house is clearly shown in the section. There are openings on the walls and glasses ,so that the space are clearly separate by function , but people still see the others even not in the same room,so the connected spaces connects the peopel in the house - master, servant and guest.

Adolf Loos said ,"My architecture is not conceived by drawings but by spaces. I do not draw plans, facades or sections.For me, the ground floor , first floor do not exist. There are only interconnected continual spaces, rooms ,halls , terraces. Each space needs a different height : a dining room is obviously higher that a larder, that is why the ceiling are placed at different levels.(Roberto Schezen, Adolf Loos architecture 1903-1932(New York:The Monacelli Press,1996), 201) . This is clearly shown in the section of Villa Muller, and the Raumplan- contrubute to the complexity and refinement of the house. It is a amazing economy in space.

This is the axonometric of the Villa Muller. It shows the main hall on the 4th floor and the stairs. It shows the connection between the spaces.

This is the perspective of the boudoir and main hall. I've done this on the very begining of the project to understand the space in the house.

This is a perspective of the dining room.