Pilotis

Columns that lift a building to create an open ground level.

Widely known as one of Le Corbusier’s Five Points, pilotis raise a building above the ground so the space below can serve circulation, parking, garden, or shade.

They can improve pedestrian continuity, visibility, and resilience to dampness or flooding, but introduce concerns about wind, security, maintenance, and street-level activity.

Villa Savoye and Unité d’Habitation are textbook cases. The original concept is the freedom of an open ground plane, not parking alone.