In Housing Atlas, beautifully drawn plans, sections and elevations illustrate nearly a hundred of the most important European housing schemes of the 20th century, a period when architects addressed the multiple challenges of modern urban living and responded with an array of innovative solutions. Today, architects are revisiting these designs as they seek answers to the current housing crisis.

Chronologically ordered, this is an essential survey of these key housing projects, produced by a pan-European team of leading scholars. Complete with contextual essays, the studies each include a history and analysis of the projects and the drawings are presented in a way that makes them readily comparable.

'An invaluable resource for architects seeking solutions to the current housing crisis.' – Architecture Today

'It is hard to imagine a more opportune time in which to publish a compendium on housing ... This magnum opus is not so much a book to be read as it is a document to be worked through ... a tour de force.' – Kenneth Frampton, Architecture Today

'The drawings, specially prepared for the book by the authors themselves, are exemplary: simple, clear, black and white.' – Bob Allies, Building Design

'An essential survey of 20th century housing projects through the medium of drawings ... The authors present the 87 selected schemes in three standard scales and formats with incisive graphic clarity. The beautiful drawings explore the relationship between public and private realms, the urban and the domestic, the city and the dwelling place ... Presented with the projects chronologically and with such graphical rigour, the reader is able to compare and contrast schemes that are not normally thought of together, as well as make connections between projects across time.' – Betty Owoo, Architects’ Journal

'It is, and this is not hyperbole, arguably THE book on architectural history of the year or even longer. The selection and range of projects covers what was probably the driving nexus of architecture for much of the 20th century – the urge to provide decent, affordable housing for all against the backdrop of the industrial city {...} The superb presentation allows readers to understand responses to the city and their sites, including definition of public and communal space, as well as the design of individual units.' – Jeremy Melvin, World Architecture Festival

‘a work of profound scholarship destined to become a landmark in its field’ – John Gold, Planning Perspectives

‘With the present atlas the authors have written nothing less than a reference work on 20th century European housing: by establishing a canon of exemplary projects and supplementing them with excellent plan material the book qualifies for any professional’s library as a go-to source for inspirational housing designs. Highly recommended!’ – German Postwar Modern

 Awarded as best in the category 'Typology' in the 2024 Architectural Book of the Year Awards by The Architects' Company.

Orsina Simona Pierini is full Professor of architecture and urban design at the department of architecture and urban studies, the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Carmen Espegel is an award-winning architect and Professor at the School of Architecture, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. Dick van Gameren is Professor of housing design and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. Mark Swenarton is Emeritus Professor of architecture at Liverpool University, UK.