The American Project

'The American Project' is a unique novel that offers a rare insight into the world of pressurised team design, with all the humour, excitement and tension that accompanies designing and constructing multi-million-pound fast track landmark buildings. Architect Josh Wainman is promoted to lead a huge project for an American bank that his practice has just won in a major competition.

The site turns out to be a horror story of difficulties.

The technical problems are daunting; the project requires the excavation of the largest basement ever in London... but it's next to the Thames, the tube line and preserved neighbouring buildings.

As well as this, he has to work with a hostile colleague intent on making Josh's life difficult - and the client is never satisfied.

Is this new project a promotion or a poisoned chalice?

Josh wonders.