DECONSTRUCTIVISM

Post-modernism in housing
WHAT IS DE-CONSTRUCTIVISM?

DECONSTRUCTIVISM IN ARCHITECTURE, ALSO CALLED

DECONSTRUCTION, IS A DEVELOPMENT OF POST MODERNISM
THAT BEGAN IN THE LATE 1980S.
IT IS CHARACTERIZED BY IDEAS OF FRAGMENTATION, AN
INTEREST IN MANIPULATING IDEAS OF A STRUCTURE'S SURFACE
OR SKIN, NON-RECTILINEAR SHAPES WHICH SERVE TO DISTORT
AND DISLOCATE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, SUCH
AS STRUCTURE AND THE FINISHED VISUAL APPEARANCE OF
BUILDINGS THAT EXHIBIT THE MANY DECONSTRUCTIVIST
"STYLES" IS CHARACTERISED BY A STIMULATING
UNPREDICTABILITY AND A CONTROLLED CHAOS
DECONSTRUCTIVIST PHILOSOPHY :IT WAS INFLUENCED BY THE
FORMAL EXPERIMENTATION AND GEOMETRIC IMBALANCES OF
RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVISM
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REFERENCES IN DECONSTRUCTIVIST TO
20TH-CENTURY MOVEMENTS: THE MODERNISM/POSTMODERNISM,
EXPRESSIONISM, CUBISM, MINIMALISM AND CONTEMPORARY ART
 CHARACTERISTICS OD DE-CONSTRUCTIVISM?

FRAGMENTATION CURVILINEAR FORMS NON RECTILINEAR SHAPES

DISTORTION SURFACE MANIPULATION COMPLEX GEOMETRY

CASE STUDY
CULTURAL CENTER IN BAKU,
AZERBAIJAN
INTRODUCTION

LOCATION: MONTREAL, CANADA

ARCHITECT: - SAFDIE ARCHITECTS
AREA: 238,000 SQ FT | 22,160 SQ M
CLIENTS: CANADIAN CORPORATION FOR THE 1967 WORLD
EXHIBITION
YEAR OF COMPLETION :- 1967
COST :$17 MILLION
HABITAT 67, DESIGNED BY MOSHE SADIE FOR THE WORLD
EXPOSITION OF 1967, WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED AS AN
EXPERIMENTAL SOLUTION FOR HIGH-QUALITY HOUSING
IN DENSE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS.
SAFDIE EXPLORED THE POSSIBILITIES OF PREFABRICATED
MODULAR UNITS TO REDUCE HOUSING COSTS AND ALLOW
FOR A NEW HOUSING TYPOLOGY THAT COULD INTEGRATE
THE QUALITIES OF A SUBURBAN HOME INTO AN URBAN
HIGH-RISE
SADIE'S THESIS AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN 1961, TITLED
"A CASE FOR CITY LIVING" AND DESCRIBED AS "A THREE-
DIMENSIONAL MODULAR BUILDING SYSTEM"
HISTORY
FOR HABITAT, MOSHE SADIE ENVISIONED A FANCY SUBURBAN HOME LIFE WITHIN A BUSY AVENUE IN NEW YORK. HE
WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH A COMMUNITY INTERACTION AS IT WOULO BE IN THE CITY WHILE BEING ABLE TO WALK
UPSTAIRS AND ENTER YOUR OWN PRIVATE, SECLUDED DOMAIN BY THE SEA. BEING ABLE TO WALK OUT TO YOUR
GREENERY LACED BALCONY AND ENJOY THE SOLITUDE. MEANWHILE, YOUR CHILDREN ARE WALKING DOWN THE
PEOESTRIAN STREET TO THE PLAYGROUND MEETING OTHER CHILOREN AND MAKING FRIENDS. YOUR OLDER CHILDREN
WOULD BE DOWNSTAIRS WATCHING A MOVIE OR EATING OUT WITH THEIR FRIENDS ENJOYING THE BUSY CITY-LIKE
ENVIRONMENT.

THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS THESIS

DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL,
QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER VISITING DIFFERENT TYPES
OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH AMERICA ON
A CMC (CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING
CORPORATION) SCHOLARSHIP HE CAME TO A
CONCLUSION: "I FELT WE HAD TO FIND NEW
FORMS OF HOUSING THAT WOULD RE-CREATE, IN A
HIGH-DENSITY ENVIRONMENT. THE
RELATIONSHIPS AND THE AMENITIES OF THE HOUSE
AND THE VILLAGE". HE STARTED ON AN
UNORTHODOX DESIGN WHERE HE SET OUT TO
CREATE A SYSTEM INSTEAD OF A BUILDING.A
SYSTEM OF HOUSING THAT COULD BE

LOCATED ON ANY SITE WITH REPETITIVE MODULES OF A CONTINUOUS URBAN STRUCTURE. HE CALLED THIS DESIGN
"A THREE -DIMENSIONAL MODULAR BUILDING SYSTEM". IT WON A GOLD MEDAL, A TRAVELING SCHOLARSHIP, AND
THE HIGHEST MARK AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY.
HISTORY
THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS THESIS DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC.
CANADA. AFTER VISITING DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH AMERICA ON A CMC (CANADA
MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORPORATION) SCHOLARSHIP HE CAME TO A CONCLUSION: "I FELT WE HAD TO
FIND NEW FORMS OF HOUSING THAT WOULD RE-CREATE, IN A HIGH-DENSITY ENVIRONMENT. THE
RELATIONSHIPS AND THE AMENITIES OF THE HOUSE AND THE VILLAGE". HE STARTED ON AN UNORTHODOX DESIGN
WHERE HE SET OUT TO CREATE A SYSTEM INSTEAD OF A BUILDING.A SYSTEM OF HOUSING THAT COULD BE
TIMELINE OF
HABITAT 67
INTRODUCTION

THE ARCHITECT DESIRED TO REIMAGINE THE APARTMENT

COMPLEX. HE TRIED TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN THE COLD
GEOMETRY AND THE LIVING NATURE. "A GARDEN FOR
EVERYONE," SAYS SAFDIE. HE BELIEVED THAT WHILE
SUBURBS AREN'T ALWAYS BAD, CITY LIVING IS ESSENTIAL.
HE WONDERED IF PEOPLE WOULD STAY IN THE CITY IF THEY
HAD MORE SPACE AND LIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF TWO
MAJOR HOUSING TYPOLOGIES -
THE URBAN GARDEN RESIDENCE AND THE MODULAR HIGH-
RISE APARTMENT BUILDING - WAS PIONEERED AT HABITAT
'67. THE HABITAT '67 IS A 12-STORY COMPLEX WITH 158
DWELLING UNITS THAT HAS THE FOLLOWING MAIN
FEATURES:

15 MODELS VARYING BETWEEN 1 AND 5 MODULES

VIEWS ON 3 SIDES AND LANDSCAPED TERRACES
SURFACE AREAS VARY FROM 624 TO 3,000 SQ.FT
SPREAD OUT OVER 1, 2, 3 FLOORS
PRIVATE TERRACES FROM 225 TO 1,000 SQUARE FEET
WALKWAYS AT VARIOUS LEVELS GIVING ACCESS TO
RESIDENCES
 CLIMATE

SUNPATH DIAGRAM
TRAFFIC
 NOISE DIAGRAM

NOICE DIAGRAM FROM THE PUBLIC POINTS AROUND THE HBITAT 67

VEGETATION
ZONING
OPERATIONS
REPEAT, ROTATE, MIRROR [UNIT LEVEL]
THE STRUCTURAL GRID IS STANDARD THROUGHOUT. THE MODULE IS GONE THROUGH OPERATIONS LIKE
ROTATION & MIRRORING FOR A PROPER ARRANGMENT OF THE MODULAR UNITS.

STACKING, CASCADING [AGGREGATION LEVEL]

THE OPERATION AT THE BUILDING LEVEL CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN IN THE FORM OF STACKING AND CASCADING
TO ALLOW FOR TERRACES ON EVERY FLOOR AND RESPECTIVE MODULES.

ORIENTATION AND ENCLOSURE

THE BELOW PLAN SHOWS THE ORIENTATION OF ALL THE UNITS AND IN PLAN. THERE ARE 9 DIFFERENT
ORIENTATIONS FOR WHICH DIRECTION THE UNFITS CAN TAKE. THEY FOLLOW A SIMILAR AND OPPOSITE
DIRECTION ON EACH LEVEL. THEY ALSO FORM AN OPPOSITE REACTION TO THE UNIT BELOW IN ORDER TO
STACK ACCORDINGLY SO THAT EACH UNIT HAS A PROPER TERRACE.
MASSING

365 CONSTRUCTION MODULES CONNECT TO CREATE 158 RESIDENCES.

THESE RANGE IN SIZE FROM 600SQFT ONE-BEDROOM DWELLINGS TO 3000 SQFT FOUR-BEDROOM
DWELLINGS.
POSITIONED IN ONE OF 15 DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS. STEPPED BACK IN THEIR MODULAR PLACEMENT,
EACH RESIDENCE HAS ITS OWN ROOF GARDEN
HORIXONTAL AND VETICAL CIRCULATION

6 ELEVATORS
7 STAIRCASE
18 EXTERNAL CORRIDORS ( WALKWAY
STREETS) •
HORIZONTAL CIRCULATION IS
UNIDIRECTIONAL HORIZONTAL
CIRCULATION SPAN THROUGHOUT THE
HABITAT VERY LONG
NO RAMPS
BUILDING CORE (ELEVATORS, STAIRCASE )
ARE CONNECTED TO FOUNDATION.
VEHICULAR CIRCULATION 76 OUT DOOR
PARKING
200 IN THE GROUND FLOOR PARKING GARAGE
MASSING
AERIAL VIEW

WEST FACADE AERIAL VIEW

EAST FACADE AERIAL VIEW

ELEVATIONS

WEST ELEVATION

EAST ELEVATION
 ELEVATIONS

PERSPECTIVE ELEVATION

EACH SECTION TYPICALLY CONSISTS OF ONE OR MORE MODULES, ARRANGED TO CREATE MULTIPLE LEVELS AND
INTERCONNECTED OUTDOOR SPACES SUCH AS TERRACES AND GARDENS. THIS MODULAR APPROACH ALLOWS FOR A
VARIETY OF APARTMENT LAYOUTS AND CONFIGURATIONS WITHIN THE OVERALL STRUCTURE, WHILE ALSO
PROVIDING EACH UNIT WITH ACCESS TO NATURAL LIGHT AND VIEWS OF THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. THE
SECTION ILLUSTRATES HOW HABITAT 67 COMBINES PRINCIPLES OF MODULAR CONSTRUCTION WITH A FOCUS ON
MAXIMIZING LIVING SPACE AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS WITH NATURE, CREATING A UNIQUE URBAN HOUSING
CONCEPT.
ELEVATIONS

NORTH SOUTH SECTION

NORTH ELEVATION

EACH UNIT HAS ITS OWN ROOF GARDEN AND ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS, PROVIDING A BLEND OF URBAN LIVING
WITH A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND NATURAL SPACE. HABITAT 67 IS CELEBRATED FOR ITS INNOVATIVE DESIGN,
WHICH EXPLORES THE POTENTIAL FOR MODULAR CONSTRUCTION AND URBAN DENSITY WHILE MAINTAINING A
HUMAN SCALE AND CONNECTION TO NATURE.
ELEVATIONS

DIAGRAM SHOWING ORIENTATION OF ALL THE UNITS AND IN PLAN. THERE ARE 9 DIFFERENT ORIENTATIONS FOR
WHICH DIRECTION THE UNITS CAN TAKE. THEY FOLLOW A SIMILAR AND OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON EACH LEVEL
(EXAMPLE IN LEVEL DIAGRAMS 32-53). THEY ALSO FORM AN OPPOSITE REACTION TO THE UNIT BELOW IN ORDER TO
STACK ACCORDINGLY SO THAT EACH UNIT HAS A PROPER TERRACE. IN ORDER TO JOIN THE SEPERATE SECTIONS
(DIAGRAMS 63-65) THE ORIENTATION OF THE UNITS MUST START TO MOVE OUTWARDS
DIAGRAM SHOWING AN EXPLODED AXON OF THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HABITAT 67. THE SHADES GET DARKER THE
HIGHER THE LEVEL. THIS DIAGRAM SHOWS THE DIFFERENT ORIENTATIONS OF THE UNITS OF EVERY LEVEL AS THEY
WOULD FIT INTO THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT, COMBINING SEPERATE LEVEL DIAGRAMS AND THE ORIENTATION
DIAGRAM IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY STACK AS A WHOLE.
ELEVENTH FLOOR PLAN
TENTH FLOOR PLAN
NINTH FLOOR PLAN
EIGTH FLOOR PLAN
SEVENTH FLOOR PLAN
SIXTH FLOOR PLAN
FIFTH FLOOR PLAN
FOURTH FLOOR PLAN
THIRD FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
STRCTURAL DETAIL
STRUCTURE FOR HABITAT 67 IS LOAD-BEARING AS
WELL AS SPACE- ENCLOSING AS A SUBSTITUTE TO THE
REDUNDANCY OF HAVING PLUG-IN UNITS WITH A
STRUCTURAL FRAME. EACH PAIR OF UNITS IS POST-
TENSIONED AND THE UNITS ABOVE AND BELOW ARE
TIED TOGETHER WITH STEEL RODS, WHICH BEING
UNDER TENSION, PUT THE CONCRETE UNDER
COMPRESSION

DIAGRAM 1 - DIAGRAM SHOWING HOW THE UNITS ARE

STACKED TOGETHER WITHIN EACHOTHER. EACH PRE-
FABRICATED UNIT HAS A NOTCH CUT OUT OF THE TOP
WIDE ENOUGH TO FIT IN THE NEXT PERPENDICULAR
UNIT. STEEL RODS ARE USED TO TIE THEM TOGETHER.

DIAGRAM 2 - DIAGRAM SHOWING HOW THE POST-

TENSIONED CABLES RUN THROUGH THE CONCRETE OF
EACH UNIT. IT ALSO SHOWS WHERE THE STEEL RODS
WOULD BE PLACED IN ORDER TO STACK THE UNITS.
STRUCTURAL DETAIL
HABITAT 67 IS SEPARATED INTO FIVE SEPERATE
SECTIONS AT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF RESIDENCES. AS
THE UNITS ARE STACKED THEY CONTINUE TO FOLLOW
THESE SEPERATE SECTIONS UNTIL LEVEL FIVE. AT THE
FIFTH LEVEL THE TWO OUTERMOST SECTIONS ARE
JOINED BY THE UNITS WHICH CREATE THE BASE OF
THE MAIN PEDESTRIAN STREET THROUGH THE
DEVELOPMENT. AT THE SEVENTH LEVEL THE TWO
LOWEST SECTIONS ARE JOINED BY UNITS WHICH
COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT AS A COMPLETE JOINED
COMPLEX.

SEVENTH FLOOR- DIAGRAM SHOWING THE TWO

LOWEST SECTIONS BEING JOINED TO THE MAIN
DEVELOPMENT BY UNITS TO COMPLETE A JOINED
COMPLEX.

FIFTH FLOOR- DIAGRAM SHOWING THE TWO

OUTERMOST SECTIONS BEING JOINED TO THE
CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT BY UNITS TO COMPLETE THE
MAIN DEVELOPMENT

FOURTH FLOOR- SHOWING THE FIVE SEPERATE

SECTIONS BEFORE THEY JOIN. THE TOP MIDDLE BOX
BEING THE CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT, THE FAR LEFT
AND RIGHT BOXES BEING WHAT JOINS THE CENTRAL
BOX TO CREATE THE MAIN DEVELOPMENT, AND THE
TWO BOTTOM BOXES BEING THE LOWEST SECTIONS
THAT JOIN TO CREATE THE JOINED COMPLEX.
 LEVEL PLANS

HABITAT 67 IS SEPARATED INTO FIVE SEPERATE SECTIONS

AT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF RESIDENCES. AS THE UNITS ARE
STACKED THEY CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THESE SEPERATE
SECTIONS UNTIL LEVEL FIVE. AT THE FIFTH LEVEL THE TWO
OUTERMOST SECTIONS ARE JOINED BY THE UNITS WHICH
CREATE THE BASE OF THE MAIN PEDESTRIAN STREET
THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT. AT THE SEVENTH LEVEL THE
TWO LOWEST SECTIONS ARE JOINED BY UNITS WHICH
COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT AS A COMPLETE JOINED
COMPLEX.

SEVENTH FLOOR- DIAGRAM SHOWING THE TWO LOWEST

SECTIONS BEING JOINED TO THE MAIN DEVELOPMENT BY
UNITS TO COMPLETE A JOINED COMPLEX.

FIFTH FLOOR- DIAGRAM SHOWING THE TWO OUTERMOST

SECTIONS BEING JOINED TO THE CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT
BY UNITS TO COMPLETE THE MAIN DEVELOPMENT

FOURTH FLOOR- SHOWING THE FIVE SEPERATE SECTIONS

BEFORE THEY JOIN. THE TOP MIDDLE BOX BEING THE
CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT, THE FAR LEFT AND RIGHT BOXES
BEING WHAT JOINS THE CENTRAL BOX TO CREATE THE
MAIN DEVELOPMENT, AND THE TWO BOTTOM BOXES BEING
THE LOWEST SECTIONS THAT JOIN TO CREATE THE
JOINED COMPLEX.
UNIT PLACEMENT

DIAGRAM SHOWING HOW ORIGINAL

INDIVIDUAL UNITS ARE PLACED
TOGETHER TO CREATE SINGLE
RESIDENCES WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT.
ORIGINALLY, ONE TO THREE UNITS
WERE JOINED TOGETHER TO CREATE THE
RESIDENCES. ONCE FAMILIES WERE
ALLOWED TO OWN THE RESIDENCES,
THEY HAVE BEEN JOINED TO CREATE UP
TO EIGHT UNITS FOR A SINGLE
RESIDENCE.
THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS THESIS
DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL,
QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER VISITING DIFFERENT TYPES OF
HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH AMERICA ON A CMC
(CANADA MORTGAGE AND
HISTORY
THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS THESIS
DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN
MONTREAL, QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER VISITING
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN
NORTH AMERICA ON A CMC (CANADA MORTGAGE
AND HOUSING CORPORATION) SCHOLARSHIP
HE CAME TO THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH
HIS THESIS DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY
IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER VISITING
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN
NORTH AMERICA ON A CMC (CANADA MORTGAGE
AND HOUSING CORPORATION) SCHOLARSHIP HE
CAME TO
HISTORY
THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED
THROUGH HIS THESIS
DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL
UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL,
QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER
VISITING DIFFERENT
TYPES OF HOUSING
DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH
AMERICA ON A CMC
(CANADA MORTGAGE AND
HOUSING CORPORATION)
SCHOLARSHIP HE CAME TO
THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED
THROUGH HIS THESIS
DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL
UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL,
QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER
VISITING DIFFERENT
TYPES OF HOUSING
DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH
AMERICA ON A CMC
(CANADA MORTGAGE AND
HOUSING CORPORATION)
SCHOLARSHIP HE CAME TO
 THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS THESIS DESIGN DONE
AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER
VISITING DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN
NORTH AMERICA ON A CMC (CANADA MORTGAGE AND
HOUSING CORPORATION) SCHOLARSHIP HE CAME TO THIS WAS
ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS THESIS DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL
UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER VISITING
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH
AMERICA ON A CMC (CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING
CORPORATION) SCHOLARSHIP HE CAME TO

THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS THESIS DESIGN DONE

AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER
VISITING DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN
NORTH AMERICA ON A CMC (CANADA MORTGAGE AND
HOUSING CORPORATION) SCHOLARSHIP HE CAME TO THIS WAS
ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS THESIS DESIGN DONE AT MCGILL
UNIVERSITY IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC. CANADA. AFTER VISITING
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH
AMERICA ON A CMC (CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING
CORPORATION) SCHOLARSHIP HE CAME TO
SECTION OF HABITAT 67 SHOWING VOLUMETRIC PLAY
HABITAT 67'S PICTURES SHOWCASE MODULAR
CONCRETE UNITS STACKED IN GEOMETRIC PATTERNS,
INTEGRATING WITH NATURE AND WATERFRONT
VIEWS, ILLUSTRATING INNOVATIVE URBAN LIVING
BY ARCHITECT MOSHE SAFDIE IN MONTREAL,
CANADA,
15.MEET GOTI, 38.MILONI SACHADE, 60.SHRUTI PATEL, 71.SANSKRUTI SAVALIYA