From the wholly American tradition of the loft to the luxurious New York townhomes of the twenties, overlooking Central Park, and from the restructuring of such architectural symbols as Mies van der Rohe's Chicago skyscrapers to the old central police station in New York, converted into a condominium, this book provides a stimulating comparison of projects. The thought that has gone into their composition and the variety of materials used present a heterogeneous and extraordinary picture, which is in line with the rich and fundamental tradition of American architectural research on private homes. Biographies of the designers and descriptions of each project are included.