The 20th century has produced some of the most innovative and memorable designs for private houses, which have become architectural icons worldwide. In the 1920s and 1930s, the private house was the means by which architects established the early Modern Movement, and clients looked favourably on commissioning the avant garde. Today, the house is enjoying an architectural renaissance, as private clients have returned to architects to express their wealth and status. The result is a collection of innovative projects that reveal some of the real concerns of world-famous architects, and display the talents of younger designers eager to establish their reputations. The 30 houses from around the world included in this book were completed in the 1990s, revealing developments in house design by notable contemporary architects, and demonstrating continuing links with the work of the early 20th-century masters.