Xtreme Houses

SMITH, Courtenay and Sean TOPHAM

ISBN 10: 3791327895 / ISBN 13: 9783791327891

Published by Prestel, New York, 2002

About this Item

Oblong stiff-wraps; color; 168pp. A tight, clean (presumedly unread) copy. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.

Seller Inventory # 909283

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Xtreme Houses
• Publisher: Prestel, New York
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3791327895
• ISBN 13: 9783791327891
• Binding: Soft Cover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Seller catalogs:
  • Interior Decoration
  • Firsts
  • Architecture
  • Decorating

About this title

Synopsis

The computer age, environmental concerns, overpopulation, suburban sprawl, economic boom and bust have all conspired to bring about enormous change in our everyday lives, and perhaps nowhere more so than in our homes. This collection of photographs, drawings, plans, and essays features exciting, newly designed and built dwelling spaces by architects, artists, and individuals that respond to our increasing awareness of architecture’s ability to shape the way we live.

Whether they are floating on top of water or nestled underground, seemingly transparent or apparently invisible, these homes push the envelope of what’s considered "normal" in domestic architecture. Yet each was designed in response to a very real and immediate concern, be it economic, spatial, resource-related, or aesthetic. Innovative, bold, and sometimes shocking, these homes, like their Modern predecessors, signal a new way of thinking about what our homes can be. They will no doubt set the standard for where and how we live, now and in the future.

About the Author

Courtenay Smith is a curator and writer based in Munich, Germany. She was formerly Associate Curator at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art and has written about contemporary art and design for a variety of publications including ArtNews, InForm, TenbyTen as well as for the book, Icons of Design (Prestel).

Sean Topham is a commentator on architecture and design whose recent projects include Blowup: Inflatable Art, Architecture and Design (Prestel) and Hands That Really Grip, a documentary on Action Man. He lives in London, England.