Building in the now

In the book ‘make do with now’, – which features a new generation of architects in Japan grappling with pressing issues such as a declining, ageing population, a vacant countryside, proliferation of empty houses, profit-driven urban development, a stagnant economy and the global climate crisis – mention is made of reuse, community life and, above all, an attitude of sharing… This leads to a new aesthetic based on necessity, community building, creativity, starting from a modesty that is also characteristic of TimeLab, where collaboration is based on differences. The visibility of life before the architect’s intervention, in the choice of reused materials that have suffered. The honesty about not leaving the white canvas. And the beauty of imperfections. These are hallmarks of a time-consciousness. ‘Make do’ because it is unfinished, unfinished, insightful, inviting…. This is something so recognisable in how the maker’s mind works and how this is translated in their building. Action, not out of a lust for money or aesthetic consideration, but out of a necessity, with what is. And not at all morbid or rushed, but hopeful and correctly placed.