This book presents 25 inspirational housing schemes providing hope for the future of home building in Britain. Highlighting the need for the UK to reclaim its sense of local identity through the vernacular, these case studies are not just examples of good design but demonstrate the achievable nature of contemporary vernacular in today's society.

Generating a sense of place, community and regional identity, these schemes are also affordable and highly energy efficient. Through site visits and interviews with both architects and residents, each case study explores how the schemes were delivered, how they have been received by the community, and how passive principles of vernacular design were applied to create true sustainability.