What environmental principles did Hundertwasser advocate for in architecture?

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Hundertwasser advocated harmony with nature and rejected “rationalism” in architecture, promoting recycling and water-saving designs
Friedensreich Hundertwasser pushed environmental principles in architecture centred on achieving harmony with nature. He criticised “rationalism in architecture” and said “the straight line is godless,” while opposing cities filled with concrete and tarmac. He also practised and promoted an early recycling mindset and used designs such as his own composting toilets to save water.
He called for harmony with nature and attacked “rationalism”
Hundertwasser described his role as a “doctor” repairing “sick” buildings to achieve harmony with nature. In one of his manifestos, he railed against “rationalism in architecture” and declared that “the straight line is godless,” reflecting a rejection of purely conventional, geometric design. He also opposed modern urban settings dominated by hard surfaces, including cities full of concrete and tarmac.
He opposed concrete-and-tarmac cities
His ecological thinking, described as strict from the early 1950s, included opposition to cities built heavily around concrete and tarmac. This position aligned with his broader architectural stance that buildings and urban form should not simply prioritise straight lines and hardened materials. The focus was on creating built environments that fit with nature rather than overriding it.
He promoted recycling and reuse in everyday materials
Hundertwasser was an early advocate of recycling and said he “reused everything.” He told his students “never to throw away any pigments, colours, papers,” showing that his environmental principles extended beyond buildings to the materials used in creative work. This reuse approach was part of how he practised sustainability rather than treating it as an abstract idea.
He designed water-saving composting toilets
He lived frugally and designed his own composting toilets explicitly to save water. His architectural work included more than 30 projects worldwide, such as toilets, and his ecological interest also covered practical systems tied to resource use. The composting toilet design illustrates how his environmental principles translated into specific features in the built environment.

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What environmental principles did Hundertwasser advocate for in architecture?

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