Clare Melhuish Livres

Odile Decq and Benoit Cornette first rose to international prominence with their administrative and social building for the Banque Populaire de l'Quest in Rennes in 1990, which won no less than ten architectural awards. Based in Paris, they featured in the French '40 under 40' exhibition in 1990 and have since been successful in many European competitions, recently completing two housing schemes in Paris, and working on larger-scale urban projects such as the revitalization of the docks at the Port de Gennevilliers, also in Paris. Although Decq and Cornette have been variously described as post-modernist, deconstructionist and high-tech, their architecture is very difficult to categorize; its distinctive hallmark is their use of metal and sophisticated engineering techniques.This book charts the architects' working process in over twenty buildings and projects. It features their highly original models which have an architectural significance in their own right.

Following Phaidon's Modern House (published 1993), Modern House 2 is a survey of the world's most innovative contemporary houses. Organized thematically, it examines over thirty houses considering contemporary issues, such as ecological concerns, changing patterns of living, building with sensitivity in increasingly populated cities, and respecting the environment when building in isolated rural areas. It also discusses concept houses for the future, focusing on international competition designs or commissions for 'model houses' and offers an insight into future possibilities for domestic architecture. Architects featured include, amongst others, Glenn Murcutt, Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Foster and Partners, Williams and Tsien, Gunter Behnisch, Patkau Architects, SANAA, Herzog & de Meuron, Marcos Acayaba and Gabriel Poole. Modern House 2 responds to an increasing level of knowledge and sophistication about design and environmental issues and reveals that striking and innovative design can be achieved within the framework of concerns about everyday living patterns that affect us all.