Architecture Timed: Designing with Time in Mind

Traditionally, architecture has often been venerated for its monumental and enduring qualities. The propensity for experimenting with new materials, designing temporary structures and employing time–efficient processes reveals a significant shift in attitude. Architects and other designers appear to be moving away from seeking permanence towards a more open, creative use of what time has to offer.

This issue of AD will explore the role that ideas about time play in the design inclinations and choices of contemporary designers of the environment. Contributors will consider how the new can be incorporated into the old; how designing for the very short term has significant advantages; how what is temporary can be re–used; and how the design of buildings and landscapes can enhance experiences of time passing. Many designers have replaced the ideal of timelessness and the view of time as a series of singular, static moments with an enriched and more nuanced perspective, treating time as a source of inspiration to be embraced, not a condition to be defended against.