Housing for the Millions: John Habraken and the SAR 1960-2000

The Dutch Foundation for Architectural Research (SAR) was established in 1965 as a research institute and remained active until the beginning of the 1990s. Its innumerable research reports, policy recommendations and practical experiments have profoundly influenced the shape of Dutch and international architecture and building practice, most especially in the 1960s and 1970s. Housing for the Millions is primarily concerned with the philosophy of John Habraken, SAR's founder--in particular his new approach to the self-image and professional and social status of the designer, as well as the role and input of the resident. In his years as a researcher and professor at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology, Habraken has built an international reputation. This is the first time that the intellectual heritage of the SAR has been brought together in book form and considered within a broader international perspective. The subject matter of Housing for the Millions is particularly pertinent right now, given the renewed emphasis on flexibility and interactive decision-making evident in government and private industry today.