Our annual Architects' Choice showcase features timeless materials selected by luminaries in the profession.
"Enduring design is like good poetry ... the most said with the minimum use of words. In the case of physical design, this means the revealing of a story through the language that is inherent in materials."
"A small dose of whimsy or quirkiness, balanced by a hierarchy of massing, makes design truly enduring."
"[Enduring design] dispels the notion of classicism. Something that has no stylistic baggage but is still timeless."
"Enduring architectural products must be both beautiful and durable."
"Enduring design is the result of products that last because they fulfill their purpose, do not intrude beyond their function, and are not superfluous beyond their nature."
"Enduring design has a perceptible connection to the human body. Products or materials that display a humanlike form, are made by the hand, or invite use by the hand or body are somehow familiar to us."
"Enduring designs will long outlive their designers."
"We believe enduring design is defined by those who use it and love it. If something is loved, it will endure, no matter how ephemeral its material life may be."
"I think that a product's design, or design in general, is enduring when it clearly reflects its use, works extremely well, and is direct. By direct, I mean it solves a problem in a very uncomplicated way."
"Rather than relating to a specific period of time or a particular style, a timeless design is simply an expression of a unique program and site."
in a first-of-its-kind spin-off of the annual architects' choice feature, ra staff members share a little about themselves and submit a few of their own favorite objects of design.
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