// van der Bankyo Island experience house model //
Unbuilt '52 50x50 [15.24m x15.24m] House by Mies van der Rohe establishes base grid unit for the Never Had it So Good settlement along the South-West shoreline section of Canvey Island
Working inside-out to arrive at the organized mosaic of buildings, the House is the smallest unit. The footprint is surrounded by some land, in line with post-war New Towns/ New Suburbia ideals, totalling 100ft x 100ft. Working up the scale, a group of 6 residences forms a module of urban layout regimentation.
Due to war-effort shortages of building materials (especially steel, so crucial in modernist architecture), and need for modular construction led to decision to make the house available in a kit- alike popular in the decade Bankyo model sets. Complimentary kits would be made available with time, to facilitate growing DIY movement in house customisation.
In terms of fabric of the build environment, tail-end of early fifties' austerity dictates use of concrete, hardboard, glass or plexiglass (salvaged from war-effort production, i.e. airplanes) and steel. Key buildings, such as Immigration Terminal, Civic Centre [or Country Club] and Sick Bay, will receive post-scarcity treatment of opulent materials, as mid-century contemporary architects would aim to achieve: unlimited steel supply, bronze, copper, travertine, marble...
In terms of fabric of the build environment, tail-end of early fifties' austerity dictates use of concrete, hardboard, glass or plexiglass (salvaged from war-effort production, i.e. airplanes) and steel. Key buildings, such as Immigration Terminal, Civic Centre [or Country Club] and Sick Bay, will receive post-scarcity treatment of opulent materials, as mid-century contemporary architects would aim to achieve: unlimited steel supply, bronze, copper, travertine, marble...
Finally, the matrix of streets and buildings will be elevated on pilotis, creating interplay of solid (buildings) vs. void (gardens at existing Island level). Appropriating vocabulary characteristic of both seaside piers and jetties, as well as one of the 5 Points of Architecture, widely used by MvdR himself, future-proofs the development against its flood-prone location.
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