Robert A. M. Stern begins by outlining his view of modern architecture, stressing the interaction of three elements: classical forms, vernacular styles, and technology. He characterizes Philip Johnson's AT&T building is a sign of present-day freedom from modernist prescriptions. He dismisses present-day approaches to the vernacular as either overly nostalgic or overly indulgent. Stern discusses his work, starting with a 1975 townhouse in New York City, and including the Lang House (1974), houses in Westchester County and Long Island (both 1976), and some unbuilt projects, including a residential complex in East Hampton (1979), the Subway Suburb plan (1980), and prototype houses for a developer (1980).