Truus Schröder and the Rietveld Schröder House
A critical investigation of the 'woman' in architecture
S. Hermans (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
B.L. Hansen – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
There have never been as many women studying architecture as there are today. Yet women are underrepresented in the curriculum and are not or hardly mentioned in the history of architecture. As a female architecture student at TU Delft, I have often felt agitated at how few women are represented in the educational program. In architectural history, white men predominate, with figures such as Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, and Frank Lloyd Wright. This raises the question: what role do women play in the history of architecture?
Recently, there has been increasing attention to women in architecture and recognition that their contributions have been more significant than previously assumed. This thesis investigates the role of Truus Schröder in the Rietveld-Schröder House, built in 1924 in Utrecht and designed by Gerrit Rietveld for Schröder as client. The house is considered a key example of modern architecture and is listed as UNESCO heritage for its universal significance.
Although Gerrit Rietveld is widely recognised as the main designer and one of the founders of the modern movement, there is limited literature on Truus Schröder, despite her close involvement in the design process. She is often overlooked in accounts of the Rietveld-Schröder House, where authorship is primarily attributed to Rietveld. This raises questions about architectural authorship and recognition in design history.
This case is also situated within a broader pattern in architectural history, where women such as Lily Reich, Charlotte Perriand, Aline Barnsdall, and Truus Schröder have been overshadowed by their male collaborators. Their contributions are often underrepresented or omitted in historical narratives. The Rietveld-Schröder House therefore serves as a relevant case study to examine the role and recognition of women in architectural history and to question established narratives of authorship.