This volume examines the shifting paradigms and stylistic transitions within American architecture during the decade of the 1970s. Davern compiles a survey of significant projects, ranging from completed structures to proposed designs and historical restorations, to document the evolving aesthetic and functional priorities of the era. The work utilizes a combination of photographic documentation and critical analysis to contextualize the architectural output of this specific ten-year period.

Architectural historians and practitioners often cite this work as a useful primary record of the specific design trends and building projects of the 1970s. Readers frequently note that the text provides a focused look at a transitional period in American building design.