A House For Cheerful Living

A House For Cheerful Living: an exploration of architectural representation in post-war housing competitions

Klijn, Dick (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment; TU Delft History & Complexity)

Zeinstra, J.S. (mentor)

Delft University of Technology

Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences

AR2A011

2022-04-14

Post-war housing competitions were held during the second World War to provide solution for the housing shortage. Looking at the drawings made for these competitions we can see that a similar style is used.
Through analysis and comparison of a drawing made by Jean Bodman and one made by Don Knorr, this thesis explores the similarities in drawing style. By comparing the education of the two architects we attempt to comprehend what could influence the similarities in drawing style.

The analyses shows that the drawing style and architectural style are similar, however a different emotion is depicted in the drawings. The fact that these architects were educated around the same period and were both mentored by famous modernist figures like Walter Gropius and Eero Saarinen is evidence for the similarities in drawing style. Furthermore, Norman and Donald worked both at SOM could also explain the similarities, while Norman also worked on the House for Cheerful Living project. However, it is difficult to say how the similarities came to be and if these arrived from related influences. The differences in depicted emotion could be explained by the fact that the drawings were made for a different audience.

AR2A011
Post-war housing Competitions
Architectural drawings
Drawing style
American Modernism

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ea84aa94-5850-49dc-ab42-7c53e7595627

Student theses

student report

© 2022 Dick Klijn