The journal was founded in 1914 under the title Das Werk by the Federation of Swiss Architects and the Swiss Werkbund. In 1980 Werk merged with the magazine Bauen + Wohnen, which was founded in 1942. The outcome of this is today's title Werk, Bauen + Wohnen.
Werk, Bauen + Wohnen appears ten times annually and is among the most important specialist publications for architecture and town planning in German-speaking Europe.