With the book series »Homes for Our Time«, TASCHEN has for years documented contemporary residential architecture as a reflection of social, technological, and ecological developments. The volumes in the series understand the single-family house as an experimental field for new ways of living, materials, and construction methods. The latest volume, »Sustainable Living«, places sustainable architecture at the center of a global survey.
The timing is deliberate. In light of climate change, finite resources, and growing urbanization, sustainable living is no longer a niche topic but a central architectural concern. »Sustainable Living« brings together 63 residential projects from diverse regions around the world, showing how architects respond to climatic, social, and ecological conditions—replacing universal solutions with site-specific strategies.
What unites these projects is a shared ambition: to conceive architecture across its entire life cycle. »Homes for Our Time. Sustainable Living« places particular emphasis on energy-efficient building envelopes, resource-conscious construction, and the use of recycled and biodegradable materials. Equally central are designs that respond to natural elements such as sun, wind, and rain, integrating them deliberately into architectural concepts.
What connects these projects is a common goal: to think about architecture over its entire life cycle. The volume pays particular attention to energy-efficient building envelopes, resource-saving constructions, and the use of recycled and biodegradable materials. Equally central are designs that react to natural elements such as sun, wind, and rain and integrate them specifically into the architectural concept.
Among the featured architects are internationally renowned names such as Norman Foster and Snøhetta, alongside lesser-known studios working with local materials and craft-based techniques. This mix is what makes the volume compelling: sustainability emerges as a versatile practice adaptable to different budgets, cultures, and climatic conditions.
Visually, »Sustainable Living« remains true to the »Homes for Our Time« series. High-quality photography presents the houses embedded in their respective environments, complemented by informed commentary and short biographical profiles of the architects involved. The tone remains documentary and analytical, free of moralizing, underscoring that sustainable architecture is not a matter of style. »Homes for Our Time. Sustainable Living« does not frame sustainability as a trend or an aesthetic category, but as a mindset—one that questions privilege and convention and opens up new possibilities. The volume invites readers to rethink how we live: more lightly, more consciously, and with a sharpened awareness of the responsibility architecture bears toward society and the environment. [Ed.]
Homes for Our Time. Sustainable Living
Hardcover, 24.6 x 37.2 cm, 3.90 kg, 496 pages
taschen.com
