Xtreme houses - Courtnay Smith

This 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 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 is 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. The 45 dwellings featured here include designs by American Ingenuity, Atelier van Lieshout, Shigeru Ban, Dawson Brown Architecture, Cal-Earth, Softroom, Jennifer Siegal, Sarah Wigglesworth and others.