Architects’ Houses

This issue features architects’ own houses. What do architects consider when designing for themselves, and what do they hope to achieve? What do they seek from their homes today? The feature presents responses from 17 contemporary architects and practices, together with their projects.
The feature begins with an essay by Ken Tadashi Oshima and houses designed by major architects of the 20th century. Oshima describes the architect’s own house as a place to explore and realize an imagined space. Frank Lloyd Wright’s house and studio, Balkrishna Doshi’s passive environmental design, and Alvar Aalto’s Experimental House show different ways of testing architectural ideas that remain relevant today.
One architect notes that designing without a client can be especially difficult. Without requirements, fixed conditions, or a completion date, freedom may become a challenge. Many architects continue to question their ideas while living with spaces that are never fully complete. Their own houses may therefore reflect the architectural concerns of their time.