New Country House - Tapa dura

For a long time now, the emphasis of radical architecture has rested on the challenge of designing homes in towns and cities and the focus of building in the coutryside has been the conservation, conversion and renovation of existing structures. But now, as more and more people grow tired of the stresses of city living, many have set out for the countryside, taking with them a powerful design consciousness. This book explores the architects who are reinventing the country house and creating new rural architecture for the 21st century. After charting the development of the genre, Bradbury examines 30 case studies that show how architects have taken both modern and traditional approaches to reinventing the country house. The variety, energy and originality of these houses are startling and each shows a fresh, flexible and ergonomic way of living in the surrounding landscape.

Dominic Bradbury is a freelance journalist and author, whose books include Designers at Home (2001), Morocco (2002) and Mexico (2003). He is also a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines such as The Telegraph and House and Garden.