Why did Walter Gropius believe Bauhaus students should receive practical craft training?

Walter Gropius believed that architects and designers required practical craft training to thoroughly acquaint themselves with materials and technical processes. By providing students with equal training in both art and expert craftsmanship, Gropius sought to bridge the historical schism between the two disciplines.12

This approach was central to his vision of the Bauhaus as a "house of building," where the study of crafts was considered essential to architecture, which he viewed as the matrix of all arts. Ultimately, Gropius intended for these skills to prepare students to create functional, high-quality designs suitable for mass manufacture, ensuring that their work could effectively serve the needs of modern society rather than being limited to individual luxury items.2