Complex Housing: Designing for Density

Winner of the 2021 ARCC Book Award

Complex Housing introduces an architectural type called complex housing, common to the Netherlands and found in other Northern European countries. Eight fully illustrated case studies show successful approaches to designing for density, which reflect values such as long-term planning, a right to housing, and access to light and air. The case studies demonstrate a wide range of applications including a mixture of urban and suburban sites, various numbers of dwelling units, low- to high-density approaches, different architectural styles, and organizational strategies that can be adopted in projects elsewhere. More than 350 color images.

Julia Williams Robinson, PhD, FAIA, is Professor of Architecture at the University of Minnesota, a registered architect, and author of articles and books. She has become familiar with Dutch housing through many short and long visits to the Netherlands over the past twenty years, during which time she completed a doctoral degree at Delft University of Technology. Educated in architecture and also anthropology, her work focuses on cultural aspects of architecture, on design theory, and on the discipline of architecture.