The Urban Housing Handbook

Focusing on the relationship between housing and the urban block, The Urban Housing Handbook is a vital design and analysis tool for architects, building professionals and students interested in the fabric of our cities. It outlines the characteristics of some of the most fascinating and prominent housing types from around the world. A modern pattern book, it juxtaposes traditional examples with contemporary interpretations.

The book features a selection of 30 housing types encompassing typologies as geographically diverse as: Parisian and Barcelonian Fin–de–Siècle apartment buildings; a patio house in Quito in Ecuador; longtangs in Shanghai; and the early residential towers of Manhattan. These are extensively illustrated with aerial views, archive material and plans and sections. All the graphic material has been redrawn to scale by the authors. In addition to this, contemporary case studies take in a wide range of recent housing projects, including those from: Atelier Bow–Wow, BIG, Morphosis, MVRDV and SANAA.

9. Introduction.

14. Siheyuan.

22 Non–private living a counter model for siheyuan in Beijing Moriyama house, Tokyo.

24. Casa Chorizo.

32. The private home as the basic element of the city block: Casa.

34. Patio House.

42. The façade acting as interface: Patio Island, Ypenburg.

44. Dar and Riad.

52. Courtyard houses in an artificial landscape: the Copenhagen mountain dwellings.

54. Kyo–machiya.

62. Furniture in the yard: Rue de Suisse, Paris.

64. Mini House.

70. The house in the middle of its neighborhood or the world in the house Japanese single–family houses.

74. Tower House.

82. The vertical floor plan: Tokyo Tower House.

84. Quadruple Villa.

92. Example of living style: Quadruple Villa, Mulhouse.

94. Chinese Shophouse.

102. Draftless design: Hanoi Space Block.

104. Terrace House with Mews.

112. Two faces of a house: Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge.

114. Front Garden House.

122. A break in style revealed: compound in Rue de la Colonie, Paris.

124. Terrace House.

132. Terraced open space houses in Graz and Les Herbiers.

134. Longtang House.

142. Spotlight on collective living: Seijo Garden Courts.

144. Cité.

152. The parasite in the block: Viviendas entre Medianeras, Seville.

154. Courtyards and Passages.

162. The interrupted spatial sequence of faubourg architecture: apartments and studios in Rue de Charonne in Paris.

164. Hamburger Terrassen (Falkenried).

172. An urban settlement: Donnybrook in London.

174. Pol House.

182. The block as a miniature city: Carabanchel 11.

184. Würfelhaus.

192. Variability within a constant building form: The city villas of Spandau.

194. Chicago Courtyards.

202. The house in the block: Lisbon Oriente Complex.

204. Megablock.

212. The megablock a continuation of architectural tradition: Charlottehaven.

214. Town Place (Cas de Blocco).

222. The city as a work of art: the Paris quarter of Massena.

224. Zinshaus.

232. Improvement after the fact: multiple dwelling units in Mexico.

234. Hamburger Burg.

242. Structured living: VM Houses in Copenhagen.

244. Berlage Superblock.

252 Design rules for the city block: Front de Parc, Bercy, Paris.

254. Plex House.

262. The planted single–family house Yerba Buena lofts, San Francisco.

264. Mietskaserne.

272. Space defined by passage and courtyard: Passage Goix in Paris.

274. Post–Haussmannian Apartment Building.

282. Haussmann Light Buildings in Rue Louis Blanc in Paris.

284. Casa de Mig and Casa de Quart.

292. Selective transparency of the block: Viviendas in El Gramal.

294. Casa de Renta.

302. New approach to architectural tradition: Buenos Aires.

304. Early Residential Towers.

312. A city reinvents itself: high–rise apartments in Vancouver.

314. Figure Ground Comparisons.

320. Process Comparison Table.

321. Density Comparison.

322. Bibliography.

326. Index. 

Eric Firley is an architect and urban designer, who is currently based in Paris. After studying in Lausanne, Weimar and London, he worked in several practices and design consultancies in France and the UK. Having initiated this project in 2005, he has spent over two years writing and researching it, travelling extensively in the process.

Caroline Stahl has run a Paris–based architecture practice since 2001. Born in Berlin, she studied in Weimar and Milan. She has worked on a wide range of projects in Germany and France. She undertook extensive research on housing for this book and developed the comparative contemporary studies.

Katharina Grön is a German urban designer who graduated in early 2008. She has helped produce the graphic material for the book, redrawing the urban and architectural plans.