Includes bibliographical refrences (p. 168-169) and index.

Contents: Introduction -- Stone, brick and concrete: History and context; International icons; Sustainability; Innovations and the future -- Metals: History and context; International icons; Sustainability; Innovations and the future -- Wood: History and context; International icons; Sustainability; Innovations and the future -- Glass: History and context; International icons; Sustainability; Innovations and the future -- Plastics: History and context; International icons; Sustainability; Innovations and the future -- Composites: History and context; International icons; Sustainability; Innovations and the future -- Tiles: History and context; International icons; Sustainability -- Conclusion -- Glossary -- Resources -- Index -- Acknowledgements -- Working with ethics.

Summary; The choice and use of materials in interior architecture and interior design is endless but the appropriate choice and correct use by the designer can have the most dramatic or the most subtle of effects. The imaginative and creative use of materials will not only satisfy the functional requirements of the space that we are designing but will also illicit the more abstract, sensual qualities of place that we are hoping to achieve: the atmosphere. The fifth book in "AVA Academia's Basics Interior Architecture" series, "Texture + Materials" will provide the interior architecture and interior design student with a focussed, readable and informative introduction to many of the materials currently being used in the design of contemporary interior spaces. Each chapter will identify a type of material; outline its appropriate historical context and its cultural and geographical use as well as its inherent qualities and limitations. Historic and contemporary case studies will be presented in order to demonstrate where the material has been used to best effect and each chapter will finish by raising questions regarding the sustainability of the material and its future use.