This book is about the materials used in the design of architecture, landscape architecture and the city. The fundamental properties and technical aspects are reviewed within a context of a material's history, the theories of its meaning and making, and its use. Information about the sustainability aspects of each material is included (as a critical necessity in construction). Innovative design comes from an understanding of materials for what they are, how they have been used in the past, and what they can do to support human activity.

The author's intent is to provide essential information useful both to those studying materials and methods of construction for the first time and to seasoned professionals concerned with advancing their design at a time when the consumption of natural resources and the consequences of wasteful practices are of urgent concern.