Highlighting the last decade of work by the New York City-based architecture practice of "Mitchell / Ciurgola Architects", this compact volume explores the narrative potential of projects to examine and express the built counterform of the human condition. With insightful essays by Hilary Lewis that explore the experiential possibilities for social interaction and the role of architecture in defining community, the monograph organizes projects into five discrete sections: Gateways, Healers, Transformers, Magnets and Placemakers. More than 30 diverse projects, in a broad sampling of building types, illustrate the evolution of the practice's founding principles. Celebrated architectural writer Mildred F.Schmertz, FAIA, who has followed the work of the firm since its inception in New York City in 1968, contributes a foreword that honors Mitchell/Ciurgola's impact on the development of contemporary American architecture.