A Way of Life: Notes on Ballenberg

"A Way of Life" is an invitation to rediscover the material world with fresh eyes, inspired by the humble surroundings of Ballenberg. This thought-provoking volume, edited by Vitra's Rolf Fehlbaum, explores the timeless wisdom found in Swiss rural design. Centered around Ballenberg, an open-air museum in the Bernese Oberland, the book captures the insights of designers Jasper Morrison and architects David Saik, Tsuyoshi Tane, and Federica Zanco as they encounter farmhouses dating from the 14th to 19th centuries.

The authors share a fascination with the simplicity, practicality and functional beauty of the world in which rural populations lived. "A Way of Life" compiles their observations and discoveries, revealing how architecture, furnishings and tools were always committed in their design and execution to the needs and necessities of everyday life; genuine solutions were found with the available means. Contemplating this intrinsic relationship between design, form and function, the book serves as an invitation to see the profound in the everyday, the beauty in utility, and the richness in simplicity.