A new architectural and design publication that brings together 60 Australian case studies using brick and block will be launched on June 11, 2015.

Edited and curated by Sydney writer Ron Ringer, projects showcased in ‘Materiality: Brick and block in contemporary Australian architecture’ feature architectural drawings, close-up photographs and hand-drawn illustrations.

Illustrated essays and technical articles by 20 academics and industry practitioners add to the 570-page work, which was commissioned by Brickworks Building Products to take a ‘big picture’ view. Each piece, chosen in consultation with contributors, makes a bold statement about the Australian home and workplace, and include MAKE Architecture’s Little Brick Studio, The Infinity Centre by McBride Charles Ryan, and the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building by Gehry Partners.

The Infinity Centre by McBride Charles Ryan. Image: John Gollings

Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, University of Technology, Sydney by Gehry Partners. Image: Joshua Hill

Featured architects and designers also share practicalities and insights of working with the brick – a misunderstood building material that is low maintenance, has good thermal value, and tells a good cradle-to-grave story.

Harold St Residence by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects. Image: John Gollings

“With Ron’s understanding of the medium coupled with his passion for Australian architecture, we’ve created an inspiring new book that really captures the essence of Australia’s ongoing obsession with brick and block,” said Brett Ward, General Manager Marketing at Brickworks.

“A veritable cornucopia this landmark book will appeal to the practitioner, architecture academic, students of architecture and design, commercial builders and the general reader,” Brickworks add.

Ringer has experience writing across the broad canvas of Australian social, economic and industrial history, and shares that Materiality builds on his previous book for Brickworks, ‘The Brickmasters: 1788-2008’, which explores the impact of masonry on the Australian built environment.

Aperture House by Jayson Blight of Cox Rayner with Twofold Studio. Image: Christopher Frederick Jones

Materiality is priced at $99.99.