Contains details on domestic extensions, renovations and makeovers and includes plans.

This book is a collection of urban research and architectural projects by award-winning architects Nigel Bertram / NMBW Architecture Studio, using observation as a design tool and design as an observational method. Through this process, a position on the making of architecture and on the role of architecture within the wider urban environment is established; embracing the full messy reality of the present, finding delight in the everyday and developing sensitivity to a range of found environments. By taking pre-existing conditions seriously, each project, architectural or analytical, large or small, becomes understood as the strategic renovation of a continuing state.

Gardens have changed significantly over the last couple of decades, and clever architects and designers know that incorporating an outdoor living space can improve a dwelling's aesthetic, not to mention its value. In the 1980s, manicured lawns framed with box hedges and annuals were a common site. It seemed that both space and water supply were unlimited. Courtyards for Modern Living presents beautiful gardens which have been designed for locations around the world that represent the changed reality of drier climates, and heralded in a preference for native species, drought-tolerant plants, and even a new popularity of the humble succulent. Contemporary houses also reflect a move towards enjoying larger houses built on smaller sites, so that available space is turned into a multifunctional courtyard that is usually accessed from the kitchen and living areas. Author Stephen Crafti ( Beach Houses Down Under, H2O and Ultimate Urban Makeover presents an inspired study of what makes outdoor rooms so appealing. Including many tips to guide the architect or the DIY enthusiast, Courtyards for Modern Living features courtyards, balconies and gardens that are extensions of the very house itself.

People have been collecting things for centuries. Whether it’s something precious, or simply things that recall childhood memories, collections can turn a hobby into a lifetime obsession. This latest book by Stephen Crafti, Eclectic Collections looks at a number of great collections: contemporary art, vintage fashion, wallpapers, ceramics, contemporary jewellery, and even rare and fine books. Some collectors have customised their spaces at home to accommodate their collections, while others have transformed their abodes into warehouses, desperately trying to find room for their next acquisition. A collector of designer hats even resorted to the bathtub to accommodate her collection. This book not only showcases great collections but draws out the collector's personality and their ‘hunt’ for the next piece in their extraordinary ‘puzzles’, each acquisition shedding new light on these impressive collections.

Through Beeche's superb photography, this book conveys the vibrancy of London and its contrast with the richness of India

This latest addition to IMAGES' Pocketful series offers more than 50 examples of the best residential beach architecture in Australia and New Zealand today. Superb architect-designed homes, which in many cases have been adapted to harsh beachside environments, are explained and illustrated with beautiful photography, plans and descriptive text. A visual feast of stunning ocean views, dunescapes and impeccable architectural design for beachside living, A Pocketful of Beach Houses is a must-have for any beach-lover and includes stunning projects from top Australian and New Zealand architects, such as Molnar Freeman Architects, Stephen Jolson and McBride Charles Ryan.

Remaking the Rust Belt tells the story of how local leaders throughout the Rust Belt adapted internationally circulating ideas about postindustrial redevelopment to create the jobs and amenities they believed would attract middle-class professionals, but in so doing widened and deepened economic inequality among urban residents.