Housing as pretext

First publication of Martin Steinmann's collected and annotated writings on housing Typological analyses and critical comparisons offer an in-depth discussion of residential construction Regarded as a building block of neighbourhoods, the urban residential building offers valuable impetus beyond the residential building typology Architect, critic, architectural historian and professor Martin Steinmann (1942-2022) was one of the pre-eminent intellectual representatives of the Swiss architectural scene from the late twentieth century until his death in 2022. Known above all for his phenomenological and semiotic thoughts on contemporary Swiss architecture, his writings on housing are relatively unknown. Despite this fact, for Steinmann housing was the entry point or, as he put it, a "pretext" for understanding the influence of architecture on society. In view of current demands in terms of densification and sustainable design of urban environments, this approach is more important than ever. The possibilities of different social groups living together are fundamentally influenced by housing and its physical manifestation in urban design. By means of his critical reflections on historical and contemporary forms of housing in Switzerland, Steinmann identifies points of reference for current housing and design practices. The method that Steinmann applied in his research and teaching is as compelling as it is relevant. By harking back to history to identify and analyse typological developments, he draws parallels between traditional forms of housing and contemporary design. Steinmann analyses historical forms of housing such as workhouses and mezzanine apartments along with current housing projects by leading architectural firms in order to forge links between traditional forms, social and economic conditions, and cultural norms that are equally relevant for contemporary housing projects. For the first time, this publication explains Steinmann's teaching methods, bringing together his essays on the subject of housing, some hitherto unpublished and others long out of print.