They are traditionally found in stilt and pole dwellings such as fishermen's huts in Asia and Scandinavia[1] using wood, and in elevated houses such as Old Queenslanders in Australia's tropical Northern state, where they are called "stumps".
Beyond their support function, the pilotis (or piers) raise the architectural volume, lighten it and free a space for circulation under the construction.
In hurricane-prone areas, pilotis may be used to raise the inhabited space of a building above typical storm surge levels.
Le Corbusier used them in a variety of forms from slender posts to the massive Brutalist look of the Marseilles Housing Unit (1945–1952) with a range of bases, inclusions and surfaces.
This was part of Le Corbusier's idea of machine-like efficiency where land, people and buildings would work together optimally.