For centuries the idea of durability was central to the practice of architecture. It went without saying that a building should be made to last as long as possible, with materials and techniques chosen toward this end.

Assembled here are the thoughts, experiences and examples of finished work and projects under construction by architects who embrace the notion of durability in their buildings and promote it in their writings. The essays underscore the importance of the notion of an enduring architecture, and reveal the principles at stake; they highlight the many obstacles and difficulties encountered by traditional architects in their efforts to achieve permanence in construction; they review traditional techniques and approaches to building from which contemporary architects may yet learn; and they present new building methods and materials that complement and reinforce traditional building practices.

Published in collaboration with the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame.