The year 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, founded by Walter Gropius in 1919 in Weimar; Germany. In 1934, Walter Gropius left Germany and eventually settled in New England in 1937. In 1938, he built the famous “Gropius House” in Lincoln, Mass. for his own family, encompassing the core architectural qualities of the Bauhaus: simplicity, economy, and aesthetic beauty. The house was declared a National Landmark in 2000. Gropius later moved to Cambridge to teach at the Harvard Graduate School of Design for 15 years. In 1946, Gropius founded the young architects’ association, The Architects’ Collaborative (TAC) in Cambridge, MA.

Challenge: How can we appropriately communicate the core ideas of Bauhaus design, architecture, and urban design to today´s audience? An archive, a website, a game, a virtual reality application, an augmented reality mobile app, or a combination of all? What are the core ideas for engaging prospective users with the product? Is the focus on topics, core Bauhaus ideas, or the user experience?

Lots of material, lots of ideas and an exciting opportunity for our GSD students to collaborate with each other and with others in the class to develop an innovative approach that deals with an architecture and design icon. The Goethe-Institute, the German cultural center is already interested.