Houses, Lei Zhang
Design Media Publishing Limited, 256 pages

Slit House, Nanjing, China, (2007) by Atelier Zhanglei

by Lei Zhang is a newly published book about the emerging residential architecture of China, with a focus on one-off houses. Over the backdrop of rapid economic development and changes in technology, the book explores the growing interest in improving living conditions through a higher demand in the comfort, exclusivity, adaptability and functionality of living spaces. The book investigates the appearance of design concepts for the home centred around the idea of ‘human-orientation’ – ‘building the relationship between dwelling space and natural context, satisfying the basic functions of houses and at the same time endowing them with a deeper sense.’ Houses summarises these trends by displaying projects by renowned local designers. Each project is illustrated with images, drawings and detailed descriptions.