Powerhouse: The Life and Work of Judith Chafee explores the singular life and work of American architect Judith Davidson Chafee (1932–1998). Clarity of purpose drove Chafee to define her path in architecture as an unrepentant modernist, an environmental steward, a social justice advocate, and a woman in a male-dominated profession. Chafee's architecture combined sensitivity to place with an uncanny ability to employ brutalist materials with sophistication and grace. This publication frames Chafee's work within the context of massive change in the architecture establishment and the culture at large. Powerhouse help us imagine how to move architecture forward, in times of uncertainty, through sustained and mindful practice. This book is the first major publication dedicated to the architecture of Judith Chafee and provides an analysis of the inner workings, and compelling output, of an influential American designer, while contributing to the scholarship of internationally significant regional modernism.

Christopher Domin is an architect and educator at the University of Arizona and lectures internationally on the topic of regional modernism and technological innovation. Domin is a coauthor of the book Paul Rudolph: The Florida Houses, published by Princeton Architectural Press.

Kathryn McGuire is an architect based in southern Arizona. She worked with Judith Chafee for over 20 years. Her independent practice specializes in desert-adapted building strategies and regional modernism research projects.