Building community New apartment architecture

In revitalizing cities, contemporary communities seem to feel the need to add apartments in order to relieve an acute shortage of housing, use land more economically, and reduce energy-wasting commutes. Author of more than 20 books on architecture and design, among them Modernist Paradise and Venice, CA: Art + Architecture in a Maverick Community (both 2007), Webb here makes the reader aware of some innovative contemporary solutions to the unrealized potential of the apartment building. He starts with a historical reminder of the evolution of modern apartments, and goes on to demonstrate his point of view by looking at and explaining 30 recent examples (completed in the last ten years) from around the world. The apartment buildings he considers include a varied range of frugal to expensive, large to small, and high-rise to low-rise complexes. Several proposed and under-construction projects are included at the end. Nothing was spared in illustrating the book: more than 300 high-quality color photographs, diagrams, floor plans, and sections provide an excellent understanding of the concepts the author is propagating. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Robert Paul Meden, Marymount University

The apartment building has provided progressive-minded architects with opportunities for experimentation since the late 19th century. In the 21st century, cutting-edge designs for this most communal of structures seek solutions to myriad challenges of urban living, including overcrowding, housing shortages, neglected neighborhoods, and sustainability issues. This attractive and informative volume, filled with color photographs and black-and-white drawings, offers 30 bold, innovative case studies, recently constructed projects from major firms (Zaha Hadid, Morphosis, Tetrarc, and others). Editor Webb (Modernist Paradise: Niemeyer House) begins with a brief essay outlining the evolution of the apartment building as typology and introduces readers to exceptional examples of 20th-century modernist dwellings. The greater portion of this book showcases contemporary designs, with brief texts describing the challenges the architects addressed; interior and exterior photographs; and plan drawings of each of the buildings, most located in the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Although classified as apartments, the examples encompass diverse arrangements, including live-work spaces, college dormitories, low-income housing, and luxury residences. The range of solutions is extraordinary. VERDICT Design professionals will appreciate being introduced to these projects and trends. For general readers, this work will expand the notion of what apartment design can be.-Michael Dashkin, New York © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.