How can residential architecture be optimized to harmonize with diverse environmental topographies and specific site conditions? Walter F. Wagner, a former editor of Architectural Record, compiles a selection of residential projects to demonstrate how site-specific design principles can enhance the relationship between a structure and its surroundings. The text argues that successful domestic architecture requires a deliberate response to the unique physical constraints of the land, whether the site is steep, wooded, or coastal.

Architectural historians and design professionals view this collection as a representative survey of mid-century residential design trends. Readers frequently note the practical focus on site-specific planning, though they acknowledge the text serves primarily as a visual reference rather than a technical manual.