TP18a A Taste of Modernism: The Gropius House Tour HSW NWA
05/14/2008, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM


Learning Units: 2.00-Walking and Bus Tour
Training Units: 0.75-Training Area 17 (Historic Restoration)

Explore the home of Walter Gropius, FAIA, founder of the Bauhaus. Modest in scale, the house was revolutionary in impact. Interpreting familiar elements of the New England vernacular with a Modernist pallet, every aspect was planned for maximum efficiency and simplicity of design. The tour will include an examination of Gropius's leadership at the Bauhaus and his decision to leave Germany, arriving eventually at Harvard University. We will examine closely the eight major rooms and spaces of the house, reviewing the design considerations of each and placing this home into the larger perspective of Gropius's long-standing interest in housing. After we will explore the residence and its surrounding landscape fully, we will continue with a walking tour of the adjacent Woods End Road. We will enjoy exterior views of this historic district which includes homes designed by Walter Gropius, FAIA; Marcel Breuer, FAIA; and Walter Bogner, FAIA.

Learning Objectives:
  • Assess the ability of Walter Gropius to successfully adapt the Modernist approach to the New England vernacular
  • Recognize how the design of the Gropius house reflects Gropius's use of institutional and industrial sources of materials
  • Appraise the extent to which Gropius successfully applied approaches developed at the Bauhaus to meet the needs of family life along with the challenges of climate and site
TP18a Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., $70

Core Discipline: Design