Island Homes: Casual Elegance in Design presents the beautiful yet unpretentious new homes, residential renovations, and commercial buildings designed by Honolulu-based Peter Vincent Architects. A boutique firm founded in 1992, PVA specialises in custom-built architecture in a broad spectrum of styles and genres. Each project responds to the unique needs and vision of its client as well as the physical, social, and environmental opportunities and requirements offered by its site. In stunning colour photography, the book features twenty built works by PVA. Each shows the creative design, quality materials, and exacting proportions that set PVA apart. The text, crafted from interviews with managing partner Peter Vincent, tells an intimate story of each project and discusses the various personal experiences that have influenced his architectural philosophy. A foreword by Malia Mattoch McManus, author of The Hawaiian House Now, discusses how PVA projects respect their surroundings and the culture.

Brick has long been a trusted material, used worldwide by builders who appreciate its strength and versatility. It offers proven value to both traditional works and contemporary designs. The venerable material has even become a trendsetter; as the New York Times recently reported, "Bricks Return with Style in New High-End Buildings." Following the popular first volume of Folio, Folio 2 features the most inspiring new brick buildings in North America and Australia. Here single-family homes, university buildings, cultural centres, showroom interiors, and more show the possibilities of brick. Each project uses material manufactured by Glen-Gery in a variety of shapes, colours, and textures, from conventional brick to glass brick to custom-designed brick for unique implementations. The buildings are thoroughly documented in photos and drawings, and with texts based on new interviews with their designers - a who's who of both up-and-coming and established architecture firms.