Hans Soeder

An important protagonist in the history of architectural education in Kassel is the architect, university lecturer and building researcher Hans Soeder (1891-1962). As early as the beginning of the Weimar Republic, he gained recognition as a specialist in timber construction and the rationalization of housing developments. Building on these early successes, Soeder was appointed to the Academy of Art in Kassel, where as director he was largely responsible for the implementation of reforms and established an architecture class for the first time. He pursued an independent path as an unorthodox modernist who did not submit to the aesthetic canon of the establishing "international style". At the same time, he succeeded in making his systematic research into traditional vernacular building methods - especially timber construction - productive for his own contemporary design and construction methods. Of particular interest are his early research into traditional (timber) construction methods in Eastern Europe during the First World War and his subsequent years in practice, during which he worked as an architect for hall and timber construction in the Metz system and realized major housing projects in the civil service.

As a regular author of the magazine "Die Volkswohnung", which dealt with topics such as housing development, small house construction, building trades, new construction methods and natural construction methods, Soeder not only contributed practical contributions to constructions he developed himself, but also formulated fundamental theoretical considerations that already anticipated central techniques of modern timber construction.

His theories found concrete application in construction projects such as the "hexagonal timber house" built using the panel construction method and were published in his practical guidebook "Das Holzwerk des Kleinhauses". As a visionary of a "new timber house construction", his designs were not only based on what was technically feasible, but also always on the economic framework conditions and their feasibility. Soeder's approach, which integrated unconventional planning processes, simplified construction methods and self-build concepts in addition to the use of modern building materials, reflects in many ways today's principles of resource-saving approaches that are discussed under keywords such as ecological, vernacular and simple construction.

As part of the project, Soeder's previously little-known texts and designs will therefore be systematically indexed and analyzed. The aim is not only to place his building ideas in a contemporary historical context, but also to reflect on them from a current perspective. Central questions arise here: How can Soeder's ideas and concepts be classified historically? Which of his visions in timber construction were realized? Which challenges remain unresolved to this day?

Researcher: Georgios Varelis