Avi Friedman studied architecture and town planning in Italy, Israel and Canada. In 1988, he founded the Affordable Homes Program at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He is known for his housing innovation and in particular for the Grow Home and the Next Home designs, both townhouses that have been replicated internationally. He has published extensively in academic and trade publications and has authored ten books, including Sustainable Residential Development (McGraw-Hill) and Homes Within Reach (John Wiley & Sons). He is Professor of Architecture at McGill University, where he is also Director of the Affordable Research Group. As well as being an Honorary Professor at Lancaster University, U.K., he is also a practising architect and the recipient of numerous awards, including the Manning Innovation Award and the United Nations World Habitat Award. In 2000, he was selected by Wallpaper magazine as one of ten people from around the world "most likely to change the way we live."

A systematic approach is used to cover the many facets of terraced and townhouses - a style of building which has been in use since the Roman era and is still useful today. The whole range of this style of housing is covered from interior design and construction methods, to more social factors like the issues of parking and street configurations.

Alongside over 150 diagrams and eighty photos, Avi Friedman creates a book which will be a valuable resource for all those involved in the planning, design and creation of terraced and town houses.

1. Terms and Motives 2. Roots and Evolution 3. Forms and Prototypes 4. Interiors 5. Construction Methods, Utilities & Resources 6. Siting a Project 7. Circulation and Parking 8. Open Spaces 9. Infill Housing 10. Projects