The environment we inhabit is a result of our behaviour. In particular, what we build determines the space and structure of our habitat. However, not each building is planned with equal rigidity and discipline. Furthermore, what is built at one point in time starts a life on its own and the effect of time varies depending on location and human intervention.

Architecture is a matter of minute planning. At the same time, buildings are set into a given context and have to stand the test of time. Urban planning is a matter of weighing the dis/advantages of dealing with structures and events (Lévy-Strauss). Structures are the backbones of planning, but they mean nothing without consideration for the eventual effects of time and the way the built matter is used and experienced.

The contrasts that result from these differences in planning and history are the topic of this book. It is an attempt for a graphic interpretation of architectural dis/similarities. It also shows, without prejudice, the opportunities for and responsibility of making our world.