Focusing on a handful of design firms from around the world, Huyton gives a paragraph or so of description before the displays of interior and exterior shots. The predominant theme, as you might expect, is boxy and angular, concrete and glass. Some of the houses are really fabulous looking.
But this book leaves so many questions unanswered.
1. How much do these dwellings cost? Well, if you have to ask, you can't afford it. He doesn't discuss price at all, but I'm confident that the price per square foot is well above any house of traditional design.
2. Where do you put your stuff? With all the open floor plans and floor-to-ceiling windows that take up whole walls, where are the closets? I'm sure they are somewhere. But you can't tell from these pictures.
3. Speaking of floor-to-ceiling windows, many of them have no evident window coverings. How can anyone get some privacy in one of these houses? What if you want to sleep in a little?
3.a. And what about the utility bills? Ugh.
3.b. And what about keeping those windows clean? Double ugh.
4. Many of these houses have flat roofs. Are they tar and gravel like my old elementary school or the local strip mall, which has to have that stinky mess reapplied frequently?
Clearly, these are not houses for people who are concerned about their utility bills or the cost of upkeep and maintenance. In some ways, the rich are just like you and me. (They have to have a place to hang their clothes, even if it's not in these pictures.) But in many ways, they are different. After all, I'm certain that next time I buy or build a house, this won't be said about me: "The client requested a contemporary dwelling that would also showcase his car." Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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