Organic solid state and molecular architectures providing nano- or mesoporous space for the inclusion of guest species open up new opportunities for the synthesis of materials showing designed chemical and physical properties. Porous materials are reviewed by taking into account recent progress in inorganic zeolites, metalloorganic and organic networks including carbon nanotubes and condensed cyclodextrins. Various properties requiring a parallel alignment of close-packed guests are addressed. As a particular example of physical property design, spontaneous polarity formation in channel-type inclusion compounds is discussed.