Don't be afraid to participate! – Housing Today

The slogan “the needs of the people instead of the need for luxury” epitomized the thinking of Hannes Meyer who, as the second director of the Bauhaus, advocated design that responded primarily to the requirements of society. The Swiss architect’s life and work form the focus of an exhibition conceived by the Bauhaus Dessau and held at the Architekturmuseum TUM. Under Meyer’s stewardship, all aspects of the Bauhaus Dessau – design and development, manufacture in the workshop, architecture – were guided by what was known as the co-op principle: a collaborative creative process that sought solutions for the common good.
The concept quickly attracted an international following and was subsequently adopted by a wide variety of proponents – indeed, its influence continues to be felt today in housing associations, building cooperatives, and sharing communities. In the face of social upheaval and a housing market that is often more focused upon financial imperatives than providing homes, various community building projects have sprung up throughout Europe that cater to individual requirements and are run according to the wishes of its members. The second part of the exhibition takes a broader look at the theme of collective design, with a presentation of twelve contemporary cooperative building projects.