Dick van Gameren, a partner with the renowned Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo, has engaged in housing design for the past twenty-five years through his work as an architect as well as in his research and teaching at TU Delft’s Global Housing Study Center. In this book, he presents around forty of his own projects in this field, through concise texts and photographs with explanatory captions as well as plans and drawings. The projects are grouped to illustrate seven specific aspects of housing design: Streets and Squares, Courtyards and Patios, Gardens, Halls, the Fireplace, Walls, and Roofs. Together, they constitute a multifaceted catalog of housing typologies.

In four supplementary essays, van Gameren explores evolutions in residential architecture in the Netherlands. He positions his own concepts in the context of these developments and expands on what he considers the key factors of good housing design. He places particular focus on affordable housing, a pressing issue in so many countries and metropolitan areas around the world.

Dutch Dwellings is an inspiring read for anyone involved in housing design today.


Dick van Gameren is an architect and partner with the internationally acclaimed Delft-based firm Mecanoo. He is also a Professor of Dwelling at TU Delft’s Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, where he currently serves as Dean. He has won many prizes for his work, such as the 2007 Aga Khan Award and the 2012 BNA Building of the Year Award.