The challenge of suburbia

the long version

For an increasing number of people living in Western societies, suburbia is the primary living environment. In the U.S., for instance, more people live in suburbia than in cities. Yet, it is the city that architects have been trained to regard as their main territory of intervention. The architectural media have done their share in propelling the presumption that construction in suburbia could only be of mediocre quality. This issue challenges that presumption. It also presents an opportunity for architects to rake back an important sector of the housing industry, as 75% of all new construction in the U.S. is in suburbia but less than 5% remains architect-designed. The title features ground-breaking projects by Zara Hadid, Eyal Weizman, Lacaton & Vassal, R & Sie [Francois Roche], Sadar & Vuga, and Wes Jones.