An inspiring international collection of innovative residential designs.

The 200 houses showcased in this book spotlight the astounding variety seen in new residential architecture. This collection of contemporary homes comes from North America, South America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Asia and Africa. Some homes incorporate an intense dedication to cultural traditions, while others are on the edge of new trends. All share the need of providing shelter.

The diversity in this global inventory is vast: seaside, energy efficient, hilltop, geometrically shaped, tiny, narrow, inventive extensions, traditional materials, prefab, in-ground, slope-side, elevated, floating. Some of the distinct locations included are Oregon's rugged coastline, Australia's scorching interior, South America's mountainside cities, Finland's wintry forests, Indonesia's steamy beaches, inner city neighborhoods, outlying suburbs and rural locales. A great many of the designs respond to extremely challenging building sites with solutions that are nothing short of brilliant.

Concise descriptions of each home include key features, along with floor plans and photographs showing interiors, exteriors and details. Each house is identified by name, location, year built and square footage as well as information on the architect. Profiles of 20 of the world's most creative architectural firms provide depth and background to the portfolio of designs.