The growing number of materials that are available to architects has not only opened up innovation in design but also introduced a need to understand what the materials are and why they behave as they do. The course content will discuss metallic, ceramic and organic materials in the built environment. The subject matter will consider the implications of materials (life cycle and sustainable use), properties, selection, interactions and potential problems that may occur such as corrosion and degradation. Newer materials such as composites, nanomaterials and biomimetics will be discussed.