The Darmstadt Design House is located on the Mathildenhöhe, in the immediate vicinity of the Wedding Tower. The house was designed in 1907/1908 by the architect Alfred Messel. Since its completion in 1909, the building has experienced a varied history. The foundation of a close connection with design institutions was laid early on in the Alfred Messel House, and thus today it bears the name "Design House". In addition to Hessen Design, the Design Department of the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da) uses the rooms temporarily for seminars, conferences and diploma exhibitions.