Housing: New Alternatives, New Systems [Paperback]

Manuel Gausa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 1999

Forms of innovative housing in an urban context are knowledgeably analyzed in this survey and introduced systematically with numerous examples from famous international architects. Architects are searching for adequate new systems for urban housing construction given the background environment of the changing cities. The vital interest pertaining to these innovative fields of activity led the editor to critically examine realized buildings as well as planned projects. In the first section of the publication, the latest developments and research are competently placed into contexts and explained to the reader. In the second section, the housing and projects that can be considered paradigmatic are presented according to contextual aspects. The illustrative material (sketches, plans, model pictures, etc.) is for the most part published here for the first time. Works by the following architects are discussed in this volume: Adriaan Geuze & West 8, Ben van Berkel, MVRDV, Willem Jan Neutelings, Eduard Bru/OAS, Actar Arquitectura, allas/Diacomidis/Papandreou/Haritos/Nikomidos, Soriano-Palacios, Riegler & Riewe, Kees Christiaanse, Josep Llu's Mateo, Hans Kollhoff, Wiel Arets, Philippe Gazeau, Francis Soler, Steven Holl, Kas Oosterhuis, Josep Llinàs, Marzelle/Manescau/Steeg, Jean Nouvel, Eduardo Souto de Moura. The editor and principal author is an architect, director of the architectural magazine "Quaderns" and teaches at various universities.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Spanish --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Birkhäuser Basel (April 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 376435870X
• ISBN-13: 978-3764358709
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,119,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars views from an architecture student, June 1, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Housing: New Alternatives, New Systems (Paperback)

Well, honestly, I probably wouldn't have seen this book if it wasn't for my professor and his obscure references to buildings. This is a pretty good book to make one understand and become visually aware of the way housing affects the inhabitant and the way the inhabitant(society/culture) affects the housing... also site relationships and basically the urbanization of the world. Another thing, this book is pretty good at giving examples of housing that breaks from the "normalcy" and "style-numbness"(that's my own term!) of today. I focused mainly on Riegler and Riewe's apartment building in Austria and theories on "conditioned openness" and flexibility. This, and the other examples are pretty interesting to me, maybe a good coffee table book for some. Pick it up and compare the many different systems to your current form of housing...

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars views from an architecture student, June 1, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Housing: New Alternatives, New Systems (Paperback)

Well, honestly, I probably wouldn't have seen this book if it wasn't for my professor and his obscure references to buildings. This is a pretty good book to make one understand and become visually aware of the way housing affects the inhabitant and the way the inhabitant(society/culture) affects the housing... also site relationships and basically the urbanization of the world. Another thing, this book is pretty good at giving examples of housing that breaks from the "normalcy" and "style-numbness"(that's my own term!) of today. I focused mainly on Riegler and Riewe's apartment building in Austria and theories on "conditioned openness" and flexibility. This, and the other examples are pretty interesting to me, maybe a good coffee table book for some. Pick it up and compare the many different systems to your current form of housing...