Bewobau Housing Project, Walldorf

Bewobau Housing, Walldorf

As chief design architect for the Bewobau Corporation, Richard Neutra undertook two housing projects in the German towns of Quickborn and Walldorf in which he was able to simultaneously address the needs of the individual while housing the “masses.” For the project, Neutra designed nine different models which he envisioned expanding into a total of 250 units. The nine models ranged in scale from two-story apartments to free-standing homes. The plan avoided segregation by intermingling different building types. At the same, each unit was oriented to guarantee its privacy, as well as to benefit from natural light. Overhanging flat roofs, reflecting pools, expansive glass windows, easy transitions between interior and exterior spaces, and asymmetric floor plans were among the many features Neutra brought to each unit. Ultimately, given a decrease in demand for housing, only sixty-seven of these homes were constructed across the two sites.

Adapted from Neutra – Complete Works by Barbara Lamprecht (Taschen, 2000), p. 375.