In the 21st century, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila will be among twenty Mega-cities in the world each with a population of over ten million people. Now, more than ever, urban houses in Asia need to meet the enormous challenges set by space constraints, the high cost of land, heat, humidity and pollution. City residences must do ‘more with less’ and show how small can be beautiful.

The Urban Asian House is a showcase for distinctive solutions to urban and suburban living in the tropics. Twenty-three exceptional houses from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Sri Lanka are documented in text and a wealth of colour illustrations.