W/K partner Daniel Kaven’s debut book is hot off the press. Pink foil stamping, painted page edges, 200+ full-color images, beautiful endpapers, plus a fascinating selection of historical photos and original art — the design and print quality of Architecture of Normal make for an incredible reading experience.

Architecture of Normal (Birkhäuser, 2022) explores the dissonance between the overwhelming American landscape and the underwhelming architecture of its strip malls, fast food chains, motels and tract housing. Part travelogue, art book and architectural survey, the book charts the patterns created by reigning modes of transportation and examines how we came to accept the bland, branded boxes lining America’s streets and freeways. Beginning with a portrait of ambulatory Native American societies and the introduction of horses by the Spanish, Kaven discusses the built environment as it has been shaped by trains, cars, planes and rockets, and looks toward a future architecture defined by autonomous cars and air taxis. This highly visual narrative includes extensive historical photography and Kaven’s own art.

Follow #architectureofnormal on Instagram for a peek inside the book.