Following the format of Phaidon's hugely popular Modern House, Modern House 2 is a survey of the world's most innovative and inspiring contemporary houses. Organized thematically, it examines over 30 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 and practices featured include Glenn Murcutt, Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Foster and Partners, Williams and Tsien, Günter Behnisch, Patkau Architects, SANAA, Herzog & de Meuron, Marcos Acayaba and Gabriel Poole.

Modern House 2 responds to an increasing level of knowledge and sophisticated interest in design and environmental issues to illustrate that striking and innovative design can be achieved within the framework of common concerns about everyday living patterns that affect us all.

Clare Melhuish is an architectural critic and anthropologist specializing in modern architecture and cultural identity. She is the author of the Phaidon monograph Odile Decq: Benoît Cornette (1996) and Editor of Architecture and Anthropology (AD Profile 124, Academy Editions, 1996). She has written extensively for the Architectural Press and other publications since the mid-1980s.