At Home in the City
Domestic Architecture for Challenging Urban Sites
1st Edition
Published on 1. March 2026
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-915722-65-2 (ISBN)
Description
The concept of home represents fundamental human needs - both for physical shelter and emotional belonging - yet housing provision is a perpetual and global issue.
Could awkward, unusual and difficult urban sites hold the key to unlocking more homes?
At Home in the City examines how architects can overcome the restrictions and challenges of these overlooked sites to create dwellings of imaginative power. The projects showcased demonstrate the potential hidden within a place, engaging with the character of the site, its location, orientation and aspect, in order to create reflective and expansive domestic space for a variety of lifestyles.
Featuring historic and contemporary buildings from all over the world, the projects are organised around themes derived from the characteristics of each site, including thresholds and privacy, pushing boundaries, finding nature and retrofitting. The book is both a guide to working with difficult sites as well as a masterclass in how a deep understanding of site and place leads to special, poetic outcomes - and, critically, more much-needed houses.
Features:
Exceptional projects from countries around the world, including: Argentina, Australia, China, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, the UK, the USA and Vietnam.
Designs from leading practices, including: acaa, Alan Power Architects, Atelier ITCH, B.L.U.E architecture studio, Hayhurst & Co, Guttfield Architecture, Only If, Sou Fujimoto and Sergison Bates.
Stunning photography, drawings and plans throughout.
Could awkward, unusual and difficult urban sites hold the key to unlocking more homes?
At Home in the City examines how architects can overcome the restrictions and challenges of these overlooked sites to create dwellings of imaginative power. The projects showcased demonstrate the potential hidden within a place, engaging with the character of the site, its location, orientation and aspect, in order to create reflective and expansive domestic space for a variety of lifestyles.
Featuring historic and contemporary buildings from all over the world, the projects are organised around themes derived from the characteristics of each site, including thresholds and privacy, pushing boundaries, finding nature and retrofitting. The book is both a guide to working with difficult sites as well as a masterclass in how a deep understanding of site and place leads to special, poetic outcomes - and, critically, more much-needed houses.
Features:
Exceptional projects from countries around the world, including: Argentina, Australia, China, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, the UK, the USA and Vietnam.
Designs from leading practices, including: acaa, Alan Power Architects, Atelier ITCH, B.L.U.E architecture studio, Hayhurst & Co, Guttfield Architecture, Only If, Sou Fujimoto and Sergison Bates.
Stunning photography, drawings and plans throughout.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Professional Reference
Dimensions
Height: 217 mm
Width: 258 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
972 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-915722-65-2 (9781915722652)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2026
1st Edition
Taylor & Francis
€59.49
Available for download
E-Book
03/2026
1st Edition
Taylor & Francis
€59.49
Available for download
Person
Alan Power studied architecture at Kingston College of Art and the Architectural Association in London, where he worked with Dalibor Vesely, the Czech theorist and historian. This education anchored his interest in the city as the crucible for architecture and stimulated the question as to how it may be reinvented as a poetic place to dwell.
He is a UK registered architect, and he runs his own eponymous architecture studio in London, which is an RIBA Chartered Practice. In addition to his individual house projects, including two for his own family that are included in this book, he has extensive experience in housing design, both new build and renovation. He is presently working on new build residential projects and a series of care homes for people with dementia.
He won an Architecture MasterPrize for residential design in 2022. He also won the RIBA Journal Eyeline drawing competition that year, a win that reflected his concurrent interest in architecture and painting.
He is a UK registered architect, and he runs his own eponymous architecture studio in London, which is an RIBA Chartered Practice. In addition to his individual house projects, including two for his own family that are included in this book, he has extensive experience in housing design, both new build and renovation. He is presently working on new build residential projects and a series of care homes for people with dementia.
He won an Architecture MasterPrize for residential design in 2022. He also won the RIBA Journal Eyeline drawing competition that year, a win that reflected his concurrent interest in architecture and painting.
Content
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Thresholds
Introduction
* Alan Power Architects - Redmans Road, Whitechapel, London, UK
* Atelier ITCH - ITCH House, Jung-Gu, Seoul, South Korea
* Guttfield Architecture - Hackney Backhouse, London, UK
* Inpractice - House, Pol Neighbourhood, Ahmedabad, India
* Niko Architecture - Washizu's House, Suginami Ward, Tokyo, Japan
Chapter 2: Pushing boundaries
Introduction
* acaa - Sky Catcher House, Atsugi-Shi, Japan
* Alan Power Architects - Haydens Place, London, UK
* Gonzalo Bardach and Matias Mosquera- Memo House, San Isidiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
* Hayhurst & Co. - Whole House, London, UK
Chapter 3: Leftover spaces
Introduction
* B.L.U.E architecture studio - Beijing Hutong, Dongcheng, China
* Constanza Chiozza and Pedro Magnasco - PH Lavalleja House in Buenos Aries
* Only If - Narrow House, Brooklyn, New York City, USA
* Sou Fujimoto - House K Nishinomiya, Japan
* Victorgn Arquitecto - Casa 2.5, Victoria de Durango, Mexico
Chapter 4: Finding nature
Introduction
* A.L.X.-junichi sampei - On The Cherry Blossom, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
* mA-style architects - Green Edge House, Fujieda, Tokyo, Japan
* Not Architects Studio - Weather House, Shinagawa, Tokyo
* ODDO Architects - VH House, Hanoi, Vietnam
Chapter 5: Retrofitting
Introduction
* Atelier Li Xinggang - conversion of no. 28 Dayuan Hu Tong, Beijing
* Milagros Ratto and Brian Kohan - PH Scalabrini Ortiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
* Trias Architects - Hidden Gdn Hse, Darlinghurst, Australia ** Chapter 6: Common ground **
Introduction
* Air Mann-Ami Shinar Architects - Apartments, Ramat Hasharon, Israel
* Bedaux De Brouwer Architecten - Duikklok Apartments, Tilburg, The Netherlands
* Justin Mallia Architecture - Yan Lane, Melbourne, Australia
* Sergison Bates - Courtyard Housing, Clapham, London, UK
Conclusion
Index
Endnotes
Image Credits
Introduction
Chapter 1: Thresholds
Introduction
* Alan Power Architects - Redmans Road, Whitechapel, London, UK
* Atelier ITCH - ITCH House, Jung-Gu, Seoul, South Korea
* Guttfield Architecture - Hackney Backhouse, London, UK
* Inpractice - House, Pol Neighbourhood, Ahmedabad, India
* Niko Architecture - Washizu's House, Suginami Ward, Tokyo, Japan
Chapter 2: Pushing boundaries
Introduction
* acaa - Sky Catcher House, Atsugi-Shi, Japan
* Alan Power Architects - Haydens Place, London, UK
* Gonzalo Bardach and Matias Mosquera- Memo House, San Isidiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
* Hayhurst & Co. - Whole House, London, UK
Chapter 3: Leftover spaces
Introduction
* B.L.U.E architecture studio - Beijing Hutong, Dongcheng, China
* Constanza Chiozza and Pedro Magnasco - PH Lavalleja House in Buenos Aries
* Only If - Narrow House, Brooklyn, New York City, USA
* Sou Fujimoto - House K Nishinomiya, Japan
* Victorgn Arquitecto - Casa 2.5, Victoria de Durango, Mexico
Chapter 4: Finding nature
Introduction
* A.L.X.-junichi sampei - On The Cherry Blossom, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
* mA-style architects - Green Edge House, Fujieda, Tokyo, Japan
* Not Architects Studio - Weather House, Shinagawa, Tokyo
* ODDO Architects - VH House, Hanoi, Vietnam
Chapter 5: Retrofitting
Introduction
* Atelier Li Xinggang - conversion of no. 28 Dayuan Hu Tong, Beijing
* Milagros Ratto and Brian Kohan - PH Scalabrini Ortiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
* Trias Architects - Hidden Gdn Hse, Darlinghurst, Australia ** Chapter 6: Common ground **
Introduction
* Air Mann-Ami Shinar Architects - Apartments, Ramat Hasharon, Israel
* Bedaux De Brouwer Architecten - Duikklok Apartments, Tilburg, The Netherlands
* Justin Mallia Architecture - Yan Lane, Melbourne, Australia
* Sergison Bates - Courtyard Housing, Clapham, London, UK
Conclusion
Index
Endnotes
Image Credits