The twentieth century has produced numerous innovative and memorable designs for private houses, many of which have become architectural icons worldwide. In the 1920s and 1930s the private house was the means by which architects established the early Modern Movement, and clients looked favourably on commissioning the avant-garde. Today, the house is enjoying an architectural renaissance, as private clients have returned to architects to express their wealth and status. The result is a collection of innovative projects that demonstrates some of the real concerns of world-famous architects, and displays the talents of young designers eager to establish their reputations. The thirty recent houses from around the world included in this book reveal current developments in house design by notable contemporary architects, and demonstrate continuing links with the work of the early twentieth-century masters. Each project is covered in depth and fully illustrated with photographs, plans and drawings.