Journal of the Korean Housing Association ISSN:2234-3571(Print) 2234-2257(Online) 한국주거학회논문집

Ernst May and the New Frankfurt Initiative are well known for the urban planning and the Housings in Frankfurt a. M. Their works tend to be underestimated because of some factors such as modest attitude toward modernism design vocabulary, short period that their programs lasts, and modification/recession of project in actual construction. So, This study aims to build up the relations related to Housing, such as situation of post World War I in German Society and Frankfurt, May’s cognition on the working class, and realization of rationalization as a major tools of the modernity. Ernst May considered the working class with bipolar standpoint. Ernst May and His team considered working class and those families not only as object of relief but also as potential ‘modern citizens’ to be disciplined; he sympathize poor conditions of working class while discriminating them by their labor charge. Acceptance of Socially Disadvantaged group in construction were also proceeded in means of recession of cost. Even Ernst May and his team did not achieved the goals that they thought they could, their Siedlung and house designs articulated the sense of modernity, which presented in rationalization with highly practical manner. Those are realized in 3 directions; respectful considerations for existing traditional factors, application of extendable logics of physical/social hygiene, and reflection of issues with standardization and mass production.