Dialog Architektur: Demokratie und Stadt

Die Relevanz von Nutzer*innenperspektiven für das Wohnen

Completed in 1932, the Neubühl housing estate in Zurich is still regarded today as an outstanding example of Modernism. How does this Werkbund housing estate appear from the perspective of its residents? How do outdoor spaces, access routes, and the varied floor plans contribute to enduring quality?

Interviews with residents of the housing estate offer a fresh perspective on this architectural icon and address a discrepancy between “male construction and female use.” Henriette Lutz has explicitly explored the significance of resident interviews for aspiring and practicing female architects. After studying architecture at the Technical University of Munich, Henriette Lutz completed a MAS in History and Theory of Architecture at ETH Zurich, where she conducted research on the development of public spaces. As a research assistant at Bern University of Applied Sciences, she was a member of the leadership team at the Institute for Housing, Architecture, and Construction. She currently teaches at the Technical University of Munich and works as an independent architect, researcher, and author in Zurich. In the fall of 2025, her book “Frauen leben im Neubühl – Vom Wohnen in einer Ikone” (Women Live in Neubühl – On Living in an Icon) was published by Jovis Verlag, for which she served as co-editor. Since 2021, as co-founder of Research Walkers, Henriette Lutz has been engaged in teaching, research, and practice focused on experimental perception walks addressing questions of diversity in walkable spaces. Starting with the Neubühl housing development, we want to talk with her about the “relevance of user perspectives to housing.” The conversation will also focus on her own career path in a professional field where—as in other areas—the question arises of what work-life balance truly means.

For any enquiries, please contact heinrich.lessing@fra-uas.de