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Architecture project: HarvardX & The Sims 4
project objective
** This is still a work in project. More coming soon!**
In 2020, I finished a HarvardX course via edX called "The Architectural Imagination". I followed this course to become more informed on architectural principles in order to strengthen my knowledge as a level designer.
One of the assignments I needed to do, was to design a house in the style of architect Corbusier, who followed 5 principles when designing his villas. Read below for more information.
I chose to actually build my design in The Sims 4, to take those architectural principles and apply them to an environment that needs to be playable, within the constraints of the game itself.
corbusiers principles
1 - The Pilotis
"The piloti is a reversal of a classical podium, which anchors the building to the earth. It’s also the reversal of the traditional domestic basement, which he viewed as unhealthy. The ground floor needs to be kept available for transportation and recreation."
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2 - The roof garden
"It summarizes Corbusier’s conviction about the healing quality of the house itself. On the roof garden, there was a regenerative and inspiring force. Hygienic exposure of the body to the sun."
3 - The free plan
"The free plan is opposed by what Corbusier calls the paralyzed plan. The paralyzed plan is a plan of rooms that are discrete from the other, created by walls that are themselves load-bearing. The free plan allows much more open arrangement, size of space and interpretation of spaces."
4 - The ribbon window
"The ribbon window can be cut into a wall, because the wall is not load-bearing. This makes it possible to create one really long window instead of having to place only smaller ones to keep the wall structurally sound."
5 - The free facade
"The free facade establishes the compositional availability of the surface wall. It also allows the wall to be more thin and membrane-like.
This type of wall allows the window to be extended without interruption."
1 and 2 - the ground floor
“On the ground floor I've made sure to leave the area underneath the house open for a garage where people can freely walk back and forth underneath the house. This way, it's kept free for recreation and transportation like in Corbusiers buildings.
The house is raised on pilotis and on the ground floor there's only a utility room and a staircase. All of the spaces are connected by doors so all paths flow into each other. On the outside of the house I've used long strips of (ribbon)windows."
3 - the first floor
“On the first floor, there is a balcony that is raised on pilotis. This is accessible via the stair case, which creates a moment of rest where the vistor can take a moment to look out on the yard.
I've also used an angled wall to naturally lead the visitor through the space, along the bathroom wall and towards the first bedroom. The bedrooms are mirrored. Almost the entire wall (south on the picture) consists of long (ribbon)windows like Corbusier used in his buildings.
The free plan makes sure that angled walls can be used and that not all rooms have to be the same size. This also counts for the next floor..."
4 - the second floor
"On the second floor I've also made sure that the different paths connect to each other and create a flow.
The visitor is rotated as they walk through the space because of the placement of the walls and the different rooms they can visit by making choices. Do they go to the kitchen first? Or they do continue and make the choice of visiting the dining room or living area?
There is also a small toilet room. This floor also has a stair case where they can rest between floors."
5 - the roof garden
"The roof terrace consists out an inner circle and an outer ring. These two levels can be accessed by the two small steps. There is also a curved planter that almost closes the inner circle, but there are gaps left over that the visitor can walk past.
This way, the visitor can view every part of the terrace by following the flow of the circles/rings and look out over the environment when standing on the outer area, or take a rest in the middle where the table and chairs are.
There are plants and flowers on the roof garden to reinforce the notion that it's the healing quality of the building.”
Design breakdown coming soon
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