Publisher's Synopsis
Collective housing has played a major role in the architectural advances of the last century, in the process provoking its fair share of controversy, admiration and disapprobation. While apartment blocks may be seen as more or less fashionable according to the prevailing wind, the decline of the nuclear family and the manifestation of new models of cohabitation have confirmed their value as high-density housing that can limit sprawl and allow for significant aesthetic expression.With other pertinent issues including sustainability and the built environment's carbon footprint, as well as urban cohesiveness, social living is right back on the agenda. This book presents detailed case studies of 26 high density developments from varied and sometimes unexpected locations. Big names such as Foster & Partners and MVRDV (represented here by Gemini - converted seaside silos in Copenhagen - as well as the instantly recognisable Mirador development in Madrid) are accompanied by intriguing projects such as Gokay Deveci's 7-storey hilltop tower A'Chrannag on the Isle of Bute, Rene van Zuuk's bulbous wave Block 16 in Almere (Netherlands) and colourful modern housing in Slovenia. All buildings are illustrated with clear plans, plentiful photographs and explanatory text.
