<DIV>Despite its legacy as a traditional building material, timber is experiencing a renaissance as contemporary architects and designers increasingly come to appreciate its sustainability, versatility, and beauty. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 photographs and drawings, <I>New Wood Architecture</I> features over 40 contemporary projects from around the world by leading architects including Shigeru Ban, Roberto Briccola, Santiago Calatrava, Steven Holl, Herzog + Partner, Herzog and de Meuron, Peter Hübner, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Peter Zumthor.<BR>Ruth Slavid examines the innovative ways timber is currently being handled and how its use has been expanded by new technologies and experiments with traditional building methods. Featured topics include wood's natural properties in rural landscapes; its heritage as a vernacular building material; its pragmatic and cost-efficient properties; its versatility; current technological innovations such as the uses of engineered products, laminates, plywoods, and chipboards; the ways wood can be combined with other materials to enhance its structural properties; and its use as a recycled or “green” material in some of the most beautiful and experimental plans being constructed today.</DIV>