The need to be in close contact with nature should be the main reason for looking for a residence outside of the city, and in most cases this is probably the case. The frantic pace of daily life is difficult to cope with and more and more people are starting to search for a tranquil place where they can rest and spend time with their family and friends. This book is an example of how in just a few years many old constructions that have been restored as recreational spaces have now become first homes. The possibility of working from home, the house prices in cities and promise of a higher quality of life make this an increasingly attractive option. So, why restore a house, which in many cases has become a ruin when it would be much simpler and more economical to demolish the existing building and start from scratch? Regulations may not allow demolition in many cases, but it is also true that, by building on top of bases from the past, the new construction will form part of this past. Perhaps this new construction will later become another page from the place's history. This book presents diverse projects, which in some cases radically tackle the concept of building restoration. Whilst unafraid of completely transforming what already exists, the architects heed and learn from those who built and lived in the constructions beforehand, applying techniques and materials which are appropriate to the physical and atmospheric conditions.

Construction materials have formed a part of mankind's development throughout history, providing shelter, both temporary and permanent. This book is divided into five chapters on the five principal materials used in construction — stone, wood, glass, metal and concrete — and it shows some residential projects in which the building materials are particularly important. The architecture works with a predominant material to create a home which is made to measure for the owners. Hopefully, in the future, new materials will become available which will reduce the costs of construction and its impact on the environment, as well as increasing the quality of the buildings and, of course, our quality of life.

«Landscape design, or landscape architecture, perfectly defines the projects presented in this work: the art of designing open spaces with living and inert elements. Exteriorism means understanding a home's setting as just another of its inhabitable parts. It means extending the space that can be used and enjoyed through to the last corner of the garden or terrace. The projects by Ignasi and Xavier Bisbe that illustrate this book are a fresh, living and contemporary illustration of what we understand as «exteriorism». Behind the gardens and balconies that feature in this book lies a drastic transformation to traditional landscape gardening. It is pure exteriorism.»

«The concept of the cafe, which began as somewhere to have a drink and socialize, has suffered a transformation with the arrival of digital communication. By adding the prefix «cyber» or «Internet» this type of establishment differs from the traditional cafe by offering internet connection at an hourly rate. The snacks and drinks are now a less important aspect of the business. Today the cybercafe is considered a symbol of a world interconnected to real time, an internalization of interpersonal virtual communication in our daily routine, as a clarifying example of the vast popularization of digital technology, principally in Europe, America and Asia. This collection presents the most esthetic aspects of all those cybercafes and their «surfing» interiors, which have survived the golden age of these establishments. It also gives examples of the wide range of typologies starting with the traditional cybercafe, and the subsequent inclusion of cyber lounges, hotel lounges, and education centers with e-learning methods.»