1. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Jean Prouvé
Jean Prouve was born in Paris. Though never formally educated, he used his training as a blacksmith and engineering knowledge to push the boundries of prefabricated building during the early part of the twentieth century.

2. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Jean and his Father Victor Prouvé
02 Blacksmith apprentice with Émile Robert
Jean Prouvé grew up amongst his father Victor’s Ecole de Nancy, an eclectic group of artists whose concern was to make art accessible to all, seeking to bring together art and industry, combining social consciousness with the artistic determination.
In 1916, Jean apprenticed at the blacksmith shop of Emile Robert, then at the Paris workshop of Szabo. The craftsman approach he learned there would last his lifetime.

3. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Aluminum Panel Drawings
02 Panels as curtain wall
Huber, Benedikt and Steinegger, Jean-Claude. Jean Prouve. Prefabrication: Structures and Elements. Praeger Publishers, New York
Navarra, Enrico and Seguin, Jousse. Jean Prouve. A.D.A.G.P., Paris. 1998
Sulzer, Peter. Jean Prouve: Complete Works. Birkhauser, Basel

4. For me, there is no architecture without structure. Jean Prouvé
ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 The Alphabet of Structures
02 The Alphabet of Structures
For me, there is no architecture without structure.
Jean Prouvé
Prouve created basic structrual types, The Alphabet of Structures, in order to facilitate is use of preconstructed panels and parts.

5. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Section-Tropical House
02 Aluminum Shutter-Sahara House
Prouve was concerned with access to natural ventilation and shading. He also used injected polyurethane insulation between folded steel panels, sometimes preassembled but often injected on site.
03 Exterior Shutter-Tropical House

6. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Interior: Prouve House
02 Interchangeable Panels: solid, glazed, opening
Note to self
The individual dwelling must be light and dynamic which is an expression of large-scale production and therefore characteristic of industry.
Jean Prouvé
Prouve was interested in manipulation light and air through the incorporation of interchangeable panels: solid, glazed and opening. He also used exterior shutters and perforated panels, like the port-hole doors, to regulate light and air.
03 Port-hole doors-Prouve House

7. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Structure assembled by two men
02 Stool structure assembled from four parts
Kit of Parts: Since all parts are prefabricated, construction costs are minimized.
Prouve tried to create structures to minimize manpower or material. Some could be erected by two men and simple lifting devices, others were reduced to the minimum of parts.
03 Kit of parts

8. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Extruded Aluminum Structure
02 Steel folder to create structure
03 Folded steel
Aluminum and glass fit into folded steel structure or extruded aluminum.
04 Aluminum and glass panels

9. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Applied skin
02 Minimum workforce required
Manufacturing and installing the secondary skin was also designed to minimize time and materials.
03 Aluminum port-hole door

10. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
01 Column vent diagram
02 Exterior view of column
In addition to the “opening” panels, Prouve experimented with other vetilation systems. In this case, the vent opening is integrated into the column system, negating the need for operable windows.
Prouve also used prebuilt modules for interior use, such as bathroom and kitchen
03 Kitchen module

11. ARCHITECT I PLACE+PROGRAM I SPACE+ORDER I CONSTRUCTION+EXPRESSION
biography regional context urban context primary structural system
influence building typology building diagrams secondary structural system
bibliography environmental context interior conditions mechanical systems
materials
02 Text block Image
01 Vitra Petrol Station
Prouve may have been ahead of his time in attempting an industrialized building process. However, we must also take note that his Tropical House, designed to fit into French cargo planes for delivery, was more expensive than a traditional dwelling made from local materials and very few were sold for that reason. Scales of economy are not the only factors.