Stefan Al is a New York-licensed architect, tenured professor, and the author and editor of ten books including Dwelling on Earth, Supertall, and The Strip, which won a Silver Medal at the Independent Publisher Book Awards. His work has been reviewed in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and he has appeared on CNN, NPR, and the Science Channel. A former TED Resident, he has designed buildings and masterplans worldwide, including the 2,000-foot Canton Tower—briefly the world's tallest. He lives with his family in a century-old house in New Jersey.

Inspiration for Dwelling on Earth

I've lived in strikingly varied homes: a Dutch row house, a communal student residence in Delft with kitchens built for connection, a tiny Barcelona apartment, a compact Hong Kong pencil tower, and American suburban homes from California to New Jersey. Living in these spaces revealed how deeply they shaped my daily life, relationships, and worldview. That personal journey sparked larger questions about how homes influence our social bonds and environmental footprint—and what the full arc of human habitation, from rock shelters to skyscrapers, can teach us about building tomorrow's homes.