Book excerpt: This book consists of some selected papers presented at the 4th cultural DNA workshop. The papers include topics from three different perspectives: insightful analysis, intelligent synthesis and cutting-edge tools to better understand cultural DNA.It is this diverse perspective toward cultural DNA that makes this book special and suggestive. This book can be suggestive especially for the designers trying to find the very essence, the archetype, and the building blocks of our environment for the incorporation of social and cultural factors into their designs.This book consists of some selected papers presented as first drafts at the 4th cultural DNA workshop. The papers include topics from three different perspectives: insightful analysis, intelligent synthesis and cutting-edge tools to better understand cultural DNA.