As architects grapple with the global housing crisis amidst a looming recession, it has never been more critical to understand the issues currently impacting the spaces in which we live. Below, we explore three books that unpack these varied challenges and propose potential solutions, including housing that foregrounds human-centred design and multi-generational living as a tool to increase density and affordability.

David Baker Architects, a firm with offices in San Francisco, Oakland and Birmingham, has earned a reputation for its thoughtful, community-focused housing projects, “whether luxury, affordable or somewhere in between.” This guide breaks the studio’s approach into nine...