A new book highlights design that goes beyond the soulless tower block It seems fairly uncontroversial to say that everybody deserves a good living environment. But ask Michael Webb, author of Building Community: New Apartment Architecture, about the state of high-rise design in today?s cities, and he?ll tell you it?s not obvious that designers, and especially developers, have that idea in mind.
?The market has taken over, and developers simply want to make a quick profit,? he told Curbed. ?They?re investing and looking for a return. Local housing authorities and non-profits used to encourage architects to do very adventurous things. But these types of projects, the idealism you saw in post-war housing, has almost gone away. Government involvement in housing is treated like this alien thing, and in many high-priced cities, you could build a chicken coop, and somebody would pay for it.? Webb?s book highlights examples of apartment design that look beyond the standard, boxy tower design to provide a more thoughtful, social, and ultimately humane place to live. While the work of big-name architects such as Zaha Hadid and David Adjaye is profiled among dozens of different examples, many of the projects were designed with low-income tenants in mind, suggesting that high prices and creative architecture aren?t inexorably linked. The tenants of smart apartment design?well-proportioned space, a connection with the outdoors, and good sound insulation?don?t require a revoluti...