The Co-Op Principle: Hannes Meyer and the Concept of Collective Design

Cooperatives, sharing communities, co-housing—the collective remains in high demand. At the end of the 1920s the Bauhaus took a keen interest in addressing questions surrounding the relationship between society and design, between individual and collaborative creation and production. The second Bauhaus director, Swiss architect Hannes Meyer, played a key role in radically orienting the school’s teaching—as well as its workshops, planning, and architecture—around the idea and needs of the collective. Meyer’s concept of a collaborative design process was particularly revolutionary.  The Co-Op Principle traces Meyer's beliefs and his political and critical approach to architecture, design, and art. His projects were never developed alone; he realized the “co-operative” in teaching and practice. His motto was “Volksbedarf statt Luxusbedarf” (The needs of the people instead of the need for luxury). For two years under Meyer’s leadership, the ‘Volkswohnung’ (People’s flat) was the main proje