Ensemble habitat

""Ensemble" is a term that is employed with increasing frequency in discussions on the architectural theory that underlies image-defining projects. This book takes the example of a contemporary villa development to illustrate how universal ideas on what the image of an ensemble is can be persuasively interpreted in the design process." "In Arlesheim near Basel, Switzerland, the architects Klaus Schuldt and Andreas Scheiwiller have constructed five two-storey villas on a communal plot of land - it is no coincidence that their minimalist appearances are reminiscent of the style developed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the 1920s. Yet is is not just the variation of architectonic elements but also the arrangement of these houses on this rural site which make "Ensemble Habitat" so interesting. Striking a careful balance between the individual and the general, between diversity and simplicity, this small group of houses can justifiably be considered exemplary."--Jacket.