Clare Melhuish is an architectural critic and anthropologist working in the field of modern architecture and cultural identity. She is the author of the Phaidon monograph Odile Decq: Benoit Cornette (1996), and editor of Architecture and Anthropology (AD Profile 124, Academy Editions 1996). She has written extensively for the architectural press and other publications since the mid-1980s.

Introduction; Chapter 1 Environmental awareness: Gunther Behnisch (Ger): Charlotte House, Stuttgart, Germany; Glen Murcutt (Aus): Marika-Alderton House, Yirrkala, Northern Territory, Australia; Gabriel Poole (Aus): Poole House, Lake Weyba, Queensland, Australia; Marcos Acayaba (Brazil): Acayaba House, Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Ken Shuttleworth, Foster &Partners (UK): Crescent House, Wiltshire, UK; Javier Senoisiain (Mex): Mexican Whale House, Mexico City, Mexico; Chapter 2 Changing patterns of living within the home: Robbrecht & Daem (Bel): Lannoo House, Sint Martens Latem, Belgium; Peter Barber (UK): Villa Anbar, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; Richard Stacy, Tanner Leddy Maytum Stacy (USA): Corson/Heinser House, San Francisco, California, USA; Mockbee & Cocker (USA): House at Shiloh Falls, Tennessee, USA; Office for Metropolitan Architecture (Holland): House near Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; KNTA Architects (Singapore): Check House 2, Cluney Park, Singapore; Thom Craig (NZ): Black Box House, Christchurch, New Zealand; Chapter 3 Urban interaction: Herzog & de Meuron: Koechlin House, Basle, Switzerland; Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa/SANAA (Jap): M House, Tokyo, Japan; Revathi Kamath (India): Nalin Tomar House, New Delhi, India; Williams & Tsien (USA): House in New York City, New York, USA; Koning Eizenberg (USA): Ozone House, Venice, CA; Donovan Hill (Aus): C House, Brisbane, Australia; Christophe Lab (Fr): Film House, Paris, France; MVRDV (Holland): Borneo Sporenburg 18 House, Amsterdam; Chapter 4 Splendid isolation, or the rural retreat: Patkau Architects (Canada): Barnes House, British Columbia, Canada; Mathias Klotz (Chile): Reutter House, Zapallar, Chile; Lacaton Vassal (Fr): House at Cap Ferret, Bordeaux, France; Will Bruder (USA): Byrne House, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Future Systems (UK): House in Wales, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK; Scogin, Elam & Bray (USA): Nomentana Residence, Maine, USA; Chapter 5 Concept houses of the future: Shinkenchiku Residential Design Competition, Japan, 1998, 'House of Poetic Space'; Daily Mail/Ideal Home 'Concept House' Competition, UK, 1999: Pierre d'Avoine Architects, Slim House; Time Magazine Visions 21: How We Will Live, USA, 2000: Wes Jones, House for the Suburbs, Bernard Tschumi, House for the City; Credits; Bibliography; Index; Acknowledgements