We explore the relationship between architects and the craft of materiality in this lecture series by examining ways of working with materials through contemporary design build practices, broadly defined. While today’s professional practice has largely isolated itself from the risks of building construction, a growing body of architects, fabricators, and designers are rejuvenating material exploration through innovative models and methods of designing and building. Importantly, this body of work often takes designers out of the studio and into the field—new models of practices draw as much from processes of production and refinement of traditional construction practices as they do from advanced digital fabrication and alternative ways of working with materials. This opens important terrain to renegotiate disciplinary bounds between architects and the building arts, which is significant in light of the ecological impact of building materials as well as the economic and social impact of labor exploitation and resource extraction.