He was born in Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1908. After studying at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich he is at the Bauhaus in Dessau in Germany from 1927 to 1929. Back in Switzerland, he has been working as an architect, decorator, graphic designer, sculptor, publisher and designer since 1932. In all these fields he is also active as a theorist, teacher and lecturer. He is a member of CIAM (Congrès International of Modern Architecture) and UAM (Union des Artistes Modernes). In 1951 he co-founded the Ulm Hochschule für Gestaltung and headed the sections of architecture and design. He is a member of the Institut d'Esthétique Industrielle in Paris, DWB (Deutscher Werkbund), BSA (Bund Schweizer Arkitekten), AIA (American Institute of Architects) and Swiss association Oeuvre. In 1967 he taught environmental design at the Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Kunste in Hamburg. He is a member of the Academy of Arts of Berlin and of the Flemish Royal Academy of Sciences, Literature and Arts. He is Honorary Advisor to UNESCO. He has received many awards and prestigious awards for his business.