Precedent Study - Villa Tugendhat

Understanding precedents is important, especially for designers. For this project, I worked with a team to research Mies Van Der Rohe's Villa Tugendhat. During this process, we researched his modernist design philosophy, drafted the Tugendhat, developed Diagrams, and finally designed a Parti.

1.1

For the first part of this precedent study, we researched Mies Van Der Rohe's design philosophy. Studying both the design and the designer was important to us, since it is the basis upon the rest of this project. The slide deck below goes into further detail.

Once we felt we had fully understood Mies' design philopsphy, we moved on and began to further develop our understanding of the Villa Tugendhat.

1.2

To start, we developed a Floor Plan, Section, and Elevation with ink and Mylar at 1/8" scale.

Based off of these drafted architectural drawings, we then began to create diagrams that exemplified different aspects of the Villa Tugendhat.

1.3

Each group member did 6 diagrams, alternatively using the Plan, Section, or Elevation to communicate the concept.

After completing these 18 diagrams of the Villa Tugendhat, we felt that we had a complete conceptual model.

1.4

We then translated our 2D understanding of the Villa Tugendhat into the 3D plane with a Parti Model. First, we sketched out the elements we valued, and then worked together to synthesize a physical Parti Model.

Our 3D Parti Model emphasizes the horizontal elements of Villa Tugendhat, as well as the open interior and the sharp angles seen from the exterior elevation. Using the same finish on the Parti and embracing the onyx accent wall ties the visual balance of the model together.

In Project 1.3, we produced eighteen diagrams analyzing the Villa Tugendhat, six each. The production of these diagrams involved research and practice to grasp the meaning and process behind each type. The diagrams concentrated on various qualities, space, and structures, which enabled us to examine the building beyond its simple plans. As we progressed, we noticed that many of these diagrams pointed out the dominant features and strong spatial focal points in a building.

We applied this understanding to the design of our parti model. Since we understood that emphasis was a recurring theme, we concentrated on the main features of the house, especially its horizontal features. Although our initial designs were similar, we decided to emphasize these defining features while retaining the shape of the building.

One of our major decisions was to use mortise and tenon joints instead of gluing the pieces together. This added to the craftsmanship and the seamless transitions that the original design had. It is through this process that we have been able to interpret architectural drawings into three-dimensional perspectives.

Feb 21, 2026

Page updated

Report abuse