1924-1929 apprenticeship as carpenter and journeyman’s travel. 1930-1933 study at the Bauhaus in Dessau and Bauhaus in Berlin with Wassily Kandinsky and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe among others. 1934-1938 member of staff in Mies van der Rohes‘ studio in Berlin. 1939-1945 work for Egon Eiermann, after 1945 for Hans Scharoun.

1945-1948 keynote speaker for the Planungsamt für den Wiederaufbau der Stadt Berlin. 1948 appointment as professor for applied arts at the Hochschule für angewandte Kunst in Berlin-Weißensee. In 1950 resignation from this employment as a result of the „Formalismusdebatte“ for the building of the Stalinallee.
1950 member of the Deutscher Werkbund and of the Verband Deutscher Industrie Designer in 1959 and 1960-1970 its president. 1951-1952 employee of the Hochbauamt Mannheim. 1952-1975 professor for interior design and furniture manufacture at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, 1969-1971 its principal.

Since 1961 member of the Deutscher Rat für Formgebung. Display of his objects at national and international fairs and exhibitions, Milan Triennial 1957 and World Exhibition in Brussels 1958 among others. Participation at documenta 3.