Houses in the Törten district of Dessau

Walter Gropius – Törten House, Dessau Germany, 1926-1928

Bauhaussiedlung Dessau–Törten Germany 1926–1928
During the Weimar Republic, there was a significant shortage of affordable housing. Public efforts were needed to address the situation by creating housing that allowed light, air, and sunlight to be accessible to a broad segment of the population. Therefore, on behalf of the city of Dessau and as part of the Reichsheimstättengesetze (Reichsheimer Landstag), the Törten housing estate was created. The estate was conceived by the Bauhaus as a solution for the construction of low-cost, mass housing.

Designed by Walter Gropius Built in a three-story terraced residential complex, it included 314 terraced houses with living space ranging from 57 to 75 square meters. All the houses had vegetable gardens ranging from 350 to 400 square meters, allowing for self-sufficiency through vegetable cultivation and animal husbandry.

Industrial production
In the context of the construction of the neighborhood, various building techniques were experimented with in order to rationalize the construction site, test 
the suitability of new building materials and industrial products. The construction site was organized like a factory; specialized work teams simultaneously built several houses in a single phase. It was built with prefabricated components that were transported by train and moved by crane.
The bright buildings consisted of semi-detached houses and clusters of four to twelve units. The facades were divided by vertical and horizontal window strips. The construction of the houses was dictated by the need for cost-effective construction. The load-bearing walls were made of prefabricated hollow concrete blocks, and the ceilings were made of reinforced concrete beams. Bright colors were used for the interiors. The Bauhaus also offered furniture to furnish the rooms.