Ensemble Habitat

In Arlesheim near Basle, 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 appearance are reminiscent of the style developed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the 1920s. Yet it 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 be justifiable considered exemplary.