Book excerpt: As architecture and design programmes throughout the world break out of the classroom and adopt the holistic methods of design/build programs, Materials for Architectural Design 2 is a survey that bridges the gap between construction materials and design sensibility. Authors Victoria Ballard Bell and Patrick Rand have revisited the format of their award-winning first volume and present sixty new case studies of materials put to imaginative use by today's brightest architects. Bell and Rand introduce each material type - glass, concrete, wood, metal, plastic and masonry units - with new text describing its history and significance. Accessible case studies highlight recent advances in design and construction around the world - from a wooden church in Finland (JKMM Architects) and hand-crafted bamboo huts in Thailand (TYIN Tegnetsue Architects) to a bank encased in a glass shroud in Denmark (Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects) and a museum faced with thousands of multicoloured ceramic rods in Germany (Sauerbruch Hutton). In a materials landscape that constantly changes to meet the demands of contemporary designers, Materials for Architectural Design 2 is an up-to-date guide to the best and most exciting materials at their disposal.