Stefan Al has authored or edited ten books exploring architecture, urbanism, and sustainability. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Times Literary Supplement, and NPR, and has received multiple awards including the National Urban Design Award and the Independent Publisher Book Award.
New book: Dwelling on Earth
The Past and Future of the Places We Call Home
A sweeping history of humanity’s most fundamental creation—the home—and its effects on the land, cities, and people themselves.
Americans spend, on average, 90 percent of their lives indoors, with two-thirds of that time spent in their homes. Globally, the construction and maintenance of residential buildings account for a staggering portion of carbon emissions. In this timely and fascinating work, architect and urban-planning scholar Stefan Al deftly weaves together archaeology, engineering, social history, and environmental science to explain how our homes have developed through the ages and in turn shaped civilization and the planet itself.
Forthcoming April 22 2026.
Illustrations by Dave Dugas.
6 x 9 in / 320 pages.
Author: Stefan Al
W.W. Norton, 2022
See on Amazon
Books
Previous book: Supertall
How the World's Tallest Buildings Are Reshaping Our Cities and Our Lives
Reviews
“A thoughtful inquiry into the new generations of skyscrapers…There is a lot of rich history here, well and concisely told (and illustrated with superb line drawings, a refreshing change).”
― Paul Goldberger, New York Times Book Review
“Fascinating and extraordinarily worthwhile.”
— John Tammy, Forbes
“Lucid… [T]he story of what’s come about in the age of the supertall is gripping.”
― Anthony Paletta, Wall Street Journal