Modern architecture has always been shaped by the relationship between people, space, and the environment. One of the most influential movements to define this relationship was the Bauhaus. Today, biophilic design and plant based architecture such as living walls and moss walls continue many of the same ideas, combining function, wellbeing, and beauty into a unified design language.
The Bauhaus was a German school of design, architecture, and applied arts founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius. It operated until 1933 and aimed to unite art, craft, and technology into a single approach to modern design (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
At its core, Bauhaus promoted the idea that design should serve everyday life. Objects and spaces were created to be functional, simple, and accessible to society rather than decorative luxury items. The movement encouraged a balance between artistic creativity and technical craftsmanship, helping shape modern architecture, interiors, and product design worldwide (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
Bauhaus style is often recognised by clean lines, geometric forms, minimal ornamentation, and a strong focus on function. Its goal was to bring art into contact with daily living and create environments that supported human needs (My Modern Met).
The influence of Bauhaus continues today through initiatives such as the New European Bauhaus, which connects design, sustainability, and culture to create spaces that are both beautiful and practical while improving everyday life (New European Bauhaus).
Designed by Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus Building in Dessau is one of the most iconic examples of modern architecture. The building introduced innovative elements such as large glass curtain walls, steel framing, and open interior spaces that supported collaboration and experimentation. The complex housed workshops, classrooms, and student accommodation, reflecting the Bauhaus philosophy of combining education, design, and everyday life.
The structure became a prototype for modern industrial construction and continues to influence architecture around the world.
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Built alongside the Bauhaus school, the Masters’ Houses were designed by Walter Gropius as residences for leading Bauhaus teachers such as Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. The buildings are composed of interlocking cubic volumes with large windows that bring natural light into the living spaces.
Their modular design and simple geometric forms illustrate the Bauhaus commitment to functional design, rational construction, and harmony between architecture and daily life.
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Haus am Horn was built for the Bauhaus exhibition in 1923 and is widely considered the first architectural project fully based on Bauhaus principles. Designed by Georg Muche with help from Bauhaus students, the house demonstrated how modern living could be shaped through efficient layouts, functional furniture, and integrated design.
The building later became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to Bauhaus architecture because of its lasting influence on modern design.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
While Bauhaus is often associated with industrial modernism, the movement was deeply concerned with human wellbeing and the relationship between people and their surroundings.
Bauhaus designers believed architecture should respond to real human needs such as light, air, health, and comfort. Buildings were designed with openness, sunlight, and spatial harmony in mind. This human centred philosophy aligns closely with biophilic design, which reconnects people with nature within built environments (My Modern Met).
Plant design fits naturally into this framework in several ways:
Plants are not simply aesthetic elements. They improve air quality, regulate humidity, soften hard architectural lines, and contribute to psychological wellbeing. Bauhaus valued design that served a clear purpose, making functional greenery consistent with its philosophy.
Bauhaus sought balance between people and their surroundings. Natural elements such as plants help create calm, grounded spaces that feel connected to life rather than purely mechanical.
Bauhaus design favours clarity and order. Plant installations that use clean lines, repetition, and modular systems reflect this visual language, turning greenery into an integrated architectural element rather than decoration.
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Living walls reflect many of the core ideas of Bauhaus design, especially the combination of beauty and function.
Bauhaus promoted practical solutions for modern living, and living walls provide measurable environmental and human benefits:
These functional outcomes reflect Bauhaus principles, where design serves society and improves daily life (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
Living wall systems also use modular construction and repeatable units, which align with Bauhaus interests in scalable, efficient, and engineered design. Structured planting grids mirror the geometric clarity seen in Bauhaus architecture and interiors.
This relationship between design, sustainability, and human experience echoes the modern Bauhaus approach, where environmental responsibility and aesthetics work together to improve quality of life (New European Bauhaus).
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Moss walls represent a contemporary interpretation of Bauhaus thinking. Their appeal lies not in ornament but in material, texture, and atmosphere.
Moss installations offer:
Bauhaus rejected unnecessary decoration but valued materials used honestly and purposefully. Moss walls achieve this balance by introducing nature in a controlled, minimal, and architectural way.
Geometric moss panel layouts, modular compositions, and clean framing reflect the Bauhaus visual language of order, simplicity, and harmony.
The Bauhaus movement reshaped modern design by placing human needs at the centre of architecture and by uniting beauty with function. Today, living walls and moss walls continue this legacy by integrating nature into contemporary spaces in meaningful, purposeful ways.
Modern interpretations of Bauhaus emphasize sustainability, inclusiveness, and aesthetics working together to create a more humane and environmentally responsible built environment (New European Bauhaus).
Biophilic design extends Bauhaus ideals into the present by improving wellbeing, enhancing environmental performance, and creating spaces that feel balanced, calm, and alive.
In this way, plant based architecture is not separate from modernism but a natural evolution of it, where design, nature, and human experience come together as one.