The genius of an architect who made beautiful and functional homes out of inexpensive materials is celebrated in rural studio samuel mockbee and an architecture of decency the book showcases work mockbee 1944 2002 undertook in hale county ala where he recruited architecture students to help design and build free homes for impoverished . Rural studio founded by samuel mockbee is based on the principle that everyone regardless of income level should have access to good quality architecture this book is also full of creative ideas for the re use of reclaimed materials within the architectural context. For almost ten years samuel mockbee a recent macarthur grant recipient and his architecture students at auburn university have been designing and building striking houses and community buildings for impoverished residents of alabamas hale county using salvaged lumber and bricks discarded tires hay and waste cardboard bales concrete rubble colored bottles and old license plates they . Rural studio samuel mockbee and an architecture of decency social responsibility green building education by andrea oppenheimer dean with photographs by timothy hursley. These buildings along with the incredible story of the rural studio the people who live there and mockbee and his student architects are detailed in this colorful book the first on the subjectsamuel mockbee died in december 2001 at the age of 57 from complications relating to his long term illness with leukemia