Modernity and modernisation in postwar France: the third type of house

摘要

Today, while the French choose single-family housing by an overwhelming majority, only a small proportion is the work of architects: a large majority of purchasers turn to builders and developers who dominate the market. The reasons for this situation are multiple and some are already well known. Apart from reluctance among architects - who for ideological, economic, and doctrinal reasons shy away from this sector - there are, on the side of potential purchasers, the criteria of security and finance; they demand a low purchase price and a turnkey contract. In other words, they want a guaranteed price that covers everything from ordering the house to moving in, as well as aid with the financial arrangements and insurance in respect of industrial homebuilders, In France today, the commissioning of a contemporary house from an architect is rare. How has this happened? It seems that the answer to this question is to be found in examining the periods following the two world wars, especially the second.