Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: Model villa in reinforced concrete

The attempt to use reinforced concrete as a building material for residential houses has been made many times, but mostly in an inadequate manner. The advantages of this material have not been utilized and the disadvantages have not been removed. It was thought that by rounding the corners of the house and individual spaces, the material would be sufficiently accommodated. Rounded corners are completely meaningless for concrete and are not achieved easily. However, it is not enough to transfer the concept of a brick house into concrete construction. The main advantage of reinforced concrete is the possibility of extreme material savings, and it is necessary to concentrate the load-bearing support forces on just a few points of the house. The disadvantage is the limited insulation capability and sound conductivity. Special insulation is required to protect against external temperature. The simplest way to combat sound conductivity is to eliminate everything that causes noise: rubber flooring, sliding windows, doors, etc. — We demand large spaces in the arrangement. A reinforced concrete house requires that all plumbing work be precisely conceived and planned before the construction begins; here, the architect can learn everything from a marine engineer. - The reproduced model is an attempt to approach the problem of a reinforced concrete residential building. The column structure of the house is covered with a thin concrete skin of the outer walls and ceiling. The ceiling (which is also the roof) is slightly sloped inward, creating a groove in the center that allows for the simplest roof drainage, thereby eliminating all plumbing work. Windows are cut out in places suitable according to the needs of direct lighting and views of the landscape. The floor plan inside is movable and changeable.