To many Westerners, the Taj Mahal in all its splendor typifies Islamic architecture. Yet, the overwhelming majority of Muslims live on the very margin of human existence, far from such grandeur. The merging of Islam's rich cultural heritage with modern technology to help solve problems of individual survival in the contemporary world forms the heart of Architecture and Community. The fifteen projects celebrated in this volume are the winners of the first Aga Khan Award for Architecture, a series of prizes honoring the successful creation within the Islamic world of a modern architectural idiom that preserves indigenous forms at the same time it provides for the future. This is architecture of and for the people, meeting their needs and concerns locally, providing a setting for health and for life.