Carving the New: A Bauhaus Bathroom

“Good architecture should be a projection of life itself.”
—Walter Gropius

Walter Gropius’ words guide our holistic approach to designing a public bathroom for the Walter Gropius House. Beginning at the existing garage, the visitor’s journey transforms an everyday necessity into an opportunity for calm, discovery, and connection with nature. Inspired by Bauhaus geometry, the two bathroom units are designed as rotated volumes extending from the garage, creating a welcoming gesture toward the site entrance.

Inspired by Egon Riss’ bent plywood book stand found in the house, each restroom chamber is carved from a simple outer box to create a soft, enveloping interior. This contrast between the sharp outer form and the organic inner space defines the project. The double skin created between these layers discreetly accommodates all MEP systems and sanitary fittings, allowing the interior to remain clean and uncluttered.

A skylight above connects visitors to the surrounding tree canopy, bringing natural light and shifting shadows into the space. The inner terrazzo surface features wood chips from local timber species, strengthening the connection to place. Vertical ceramic planks in a gradient from white to lava-textured earthy tones, drawing from Bauhaus pottery, tie the new intervention to the white-clad existing garage. 

The visitor centre is retained within the historic garage envelope, where glass, timber, and ceramic detailing create a unified and calm architectural expression that connects the new addition to the existing structure.

“Good architecture should be a projection of life itself.”
—Walter Gropius

Walter Gropius’ words guide our holistic approach to designing a public bathroom for the Walter Gropius House. Beginning at the existing garage, the visitor’s journey transforms an everyday necessity into an opportunity for calm, discovery, and connection with nature. Inspired by Bauhaus geometry, the two bathroom units are designed as rotated volumes extending from the garage, creating a welcoming gesture toward the site entrance.

Inspired by Egon Riss’ bent plywood book stand found in the house, each restroom chamber is carved from a simple outer box to create a soft, enveloping interior. This contrast between the sharp outer form and the organic inner space defines the project. The double skin created between these layers discreetly accommodates all MEP systems and sanitary fittings, allowing the interior to remain clean and uncluttered.

A skylight above connects visitors to the surrounding tree canopy, bringing natural light and shifting shadows into the space. The inner terrazzo surface features wood chips from local timber species, strengthening the connection to place. Vertical ceramic planks in a gradient from white to lava-textured earthy tones, drawing from Bauhaus pottery, tie the new intervention to the white-clad existing garage. 

The visitor centre is retained within the historic garage envelope, where glass, timber, and ceramic detailing create a unified and calm architectural expression that connects the new addition to the existing structure.

LOCATION: Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA
YEAR: 2026
STATUS: Competition