Compiling photographs from 40 of the world's most innovative houses, this coffee-table book attempts to "open people's minds... to the potential of residential architecture." Divided into five rather vague categories-Conditions, Materials, Environment, Budget and Aesthetics-this volume presents homes that boldly challenge traditional conceptions of design. For example, the bizarre Natural Ellipse building in Tokyo, described as "two apartments 'vacuum packed' in a gleaming white skin," resembles an enormous egg, and one house in southeast England is economically made of rubber.
These creations are nicely captured in numerous color photographs, but the introductions that accompany them are less successful. ("Ever since his decision to move out of the cave and get on the property ladder, man has sought out materials to build with," reads the characteristically banal intro to the "Materials" section). The book's design also detracts from the architectural wonder of these homes: the photographs are rarely given the full page that they deserve and are instead crowded by descriptions and blueprint sketches. The projects themselves, though, are creative and often over-the-top, like the glass house in Kent that's designed seamlessly within a plant nursery and the wonderfully innovative "Elemental Housing" project, a colorful solution to low-cost housing in the slums of Chile. This volume will no doubt interest architecture aficionados, but it falls short of being a fascinating introduction to the wonders of new modern design. 300 color illustrations.
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