Here you’ll find a handpicked selection of titles, many of which have featured on the Material Matters with Grant Gibson podcast, that explore everything from material intelligence and circular economy principles, to biophilic design and the importance of reuse. Alongside these are intimate memoirs and deeply researched works that examine the social and cultural contexts in which materials sit.
The list ranges from the rigorously analytical to the poignantly personal. Take Show Me The Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen, a book that investigates one of the most devastating events in recent British history, while asking uncomfortable but vital questions about how and why it occurred. Elsewhere, you’ll discover texts that reveal the hidden narratives of innovation, unpicking the way materials influence not just what we build, but how we live and think.
In short, it’s a library designed for designers, architects, makers, or simply the curious.
Explore the Material Matters bookshop, currently available to UK customers.