Architects' London houses

the long version

This book details a selection of houses designed and lived in by contemporary architects in a capital city, giving an insight into how and why architects design as they do. It reveals the values and choices of modern designers freed from the inhibition of responsibility to an outside client. Thirty houses, built from the end of the 1930s, have been chosen to illustrate a range of house types across half a century and representing different urban locations in London. By concentrating solely on houses in London, the constraints of land and construction costs, density, privacy and planning restrictions are comparable. The approach of the book is both accessible and informative. A brief biography of each architect puts the design in context and a general description of each site includes history, topography, and social context. The architect's brief is considered and the design solution is fully described; external form, planning, geometry, construction, interior design and exterior spaces are all discussed and comparisons are made between the houses. The illustrations include drawn plans, sections, and original sketches or details by the architects; the photographs show elevations and interiors. Architects' London Houses gives a view of some of the best and most unusual domestic architecture built in London in recent years. This highly illustrated book will be a fascinating and informative reference for architects, designers and interested laymen.