Bournville, England (1893-Forward)
William Alexander Harvey (1874–1951)
A Birmingham‑trained architect, was appointed in 1895 by George Cadbury, at just 20 years old, to design the housing for the Bournville model village. Harvey continued as the resident architect of the Bournville Village Trust until 1904, later forming the practice Harvey & Wicks and still contributing to community buildings in Bournville afterward. His portfolio in Bournville includes schools (Infant and Junior), Ruskin Hall, Friends’ Meeting House, Rest House, and partial restoration of heritage buildings like Selly Manor and Minworth Greaves
Location and Context
Bournville is located southwest of Birmingham, originally rural Worcestershire, selected by the Cadbury family for its clean environment and excellent canal and railway links. Named after the local River Bourn plus “ville,” the site became a model village developed from 1893 when George Cadbury purchased 120 acres to offer quality, affordable housing for his chocolate factory workers .The Bournville Village Trust (founded 1900) took over the estate’s planning and management, ensuring permanent adherence to the village’s social, architectural, and environmental principles. Bata was inspired by American/German styled capitalism to bring his ideas and turn it into a city.
Historic Elements
Bournville stems from the late Victorian era, motivated by Quaker values of social welfare, temperance (the estate remained dry, i.e., alcohol‑free), and philanthropy It’s a prime example of the model village movement—an early form of humane industrial-era housing.Its underlying ethos: improve workers’ health and morale via healthier living conditions, communal spaces, education, and recreation
Concept
Bournville was conceived as a garden suburb, reflecting emerging Garden City ideals: holistic planning, integration of green spaces, community amenities, and affordable, well-designed homes Homes prioritized sunlight, air, and privacy, standing in contrast to dense urban terraced housing Generous open spaces, parks, and recreational facilities were intrinsic. George Cadbury insisted on one-tenth of the estate being allocated to parks and recreationCommunity infrastructure like schools, halls, meeting houses, and shops were purposefully woven into the village plan, fostering social cohesion and education
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Zlín, Czechoslovakia(1920s–1930s)
František Lydie Gahura (1891-1951)
A Czech architect and sculptor, student of Jan Kotěra who was a pioneer of Czech modernism. He was appointed by TomᚠBaťa in the 1920s to design the expanding company town for the Baťa shoe empire.He fused functionalism with emphasis on rational, efficient, minimalist design while highlighting importance on green spaces and healthy environments for workers.
Zlin, Czechoslovakia
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Historic Elements
Uniform red brick houses. Built in neat rows on a grid, matching the city’s modular planning. Typically semi detached or small terraced houses with minimalist design functional, and no unnecessary decoration. Each home had a garden plot in front or behind. Workers could grow vegetables, fruit, or keep chickens.
Concept
TomᚠBaťa believed workers should live in dignity, close to their jobs, but also surrounded by green space. His model had a mix of industrial efficiency with social welfare.The idea was to create a rational, modular city plan using a grid system.The buildings were organized around the Baťa module a standardized construction unit 6.15 x 6.15 m reinforced concrete frame.This allowed quick, cheap, and repeatable construction across factories, offices, and homes.
