On Building to Last

With trends changing every time one blinks, and ambitious client demands, there’s a question that arises: how do we create spaces that endure? The answer, it seems, lies not in resisting change but in designing with intention: grounding projects in timeless principles while allowing innovation to quietly shape how we live, work and connect.

We spoke with architects and designers across the region, and they voiced that designing to last is less about chasing what is new and more about embedding resilience, honesty and adaptability into the very bones of a project.

Breakout area of an office designed by SAY Studio

When asked how they balance timelessness with evolving trends, the designers all pointed to the same starting point: fundamentals. “We don’t treat trends as design inputs. We design from programme, climate, site and culture,” explains Mohammed Adib, Chief Design Officer at Dewan Architects + Engineers. For him, technology can evolve around strong foundations, but “it never replaces sound proportion, clarity of plan, and material honesty.” Bani Singh, Founder at Grounded Design, takes a similar stance: “Timelessness starts with first principles: proportion, light, flow and an authentic response to context. Trends are useful as accents, not anchors.” For Nemanja Ribic, Senior Interior Designer at SAY Studio, it’s people who ground design: “We therefore anchor spaces in human centric principles: circulation, light and ergonomics. These things are timeless because they will always matter.”

Maysa Saccal, Co-founder

But timeless doesn’t necessarily mean static. Khaled AlShamaa, Co-founder and Director, XYZ Designers, calls it a foundation on which innovation can be layered. “We don’t follow trends; instead, we distil ideas into design elements that can endure and remain relevant well beyond the moment.” For Maysa Saccal, Co-founder, Saccal Design House, timelessness is a balance between adaptation and identity: “As trends evolve, we are always looking for new ideas and opportunities to evolve our designs as well. However, as designers we do have our own aesthetic in design, and honour it through the years to stay true to ourselves and our brand.”

Material Language

If design is to endure, materials must speak of permanence, grace and honesty. “The most sustainable move is an efficient building – orientation, shading, massing and services that work hard,” says Adib. Materials, then, are the inner layer of this efficiency. Adib cites dense stone where appropriate, fired clay products, responsibly sourced timber, lime-based plasters and well-finished metals. “Longevity is the brief,” he declares. Singh favours materials that wear in, not out. She names natural stone, porcelain/sintered slabs, terrazzo with recycled aggregates, responsibly sourced timber, lime-based plasters, and powder-coated metals as some of the materials being used. “In our climate, stability matters – engineered substrates and high-quality composites often outperform softer stones and keep maintenance low. I also look for low-VOC finishes, formaldehyde-free resins, verified EPDs and parts that can be repaired or refinished. Longevity is both physical and emotional: the material should still be wanted in 20 years,” she shares. 

In commercial, residential and hospitality design, Ribic sees different material priorities but insists that durability and responsibility go hand in hand: “We’re seeing a lot of really exciting new materials such as terrazzos incorporating more recycled content, textiles derived from recycled PET or natural wool blends, and bio-based leathers.” For AlShamaa, materiality is as much about experience as endurance: “I don’t shy away from using glass when it allows us to capture natural light and frame views – because creating healthier, more connected environments is also part of building sustainably.” Saccal takes a pragmatic approach: “Reclaimed wood and recycled steel are the most used materials in our projects/designs.”

La Mer by Elie Saab and Dewan Architects + Engineers

Designing for Change

If permanence is one pillar of longevity, adaptability is the other. The designers all affirm the need for flexibility. “We plan for ‘loose fit, long life’,” notes Adib. Ribic stresses the role of adaptability in the workplace: “Easily adaptable environments, multipurpose zones and plug-and-play infrastructure are just some of the non-negotiables for us.” Saccal cautions, however, that adaptability doesn’t erase the challenge: “It definitely helps to be able to come up with a flexible design, yet with the rate that design is evolving, I believe trying to achieve timelessness is getting harder,” she says.

The Case for Building Well

Every ideal collides with reality – tight schedules, budget constraints and shifting priorities. The designers interviewed share that the best way is to weave sustainability and durability into the process from the very beginning. “We make sustainability part of the baseline brief, not an add-on,” shares Adib. “Pre-vetted specifications, early contractor input, clear performance criteria in tender documents, and parallel procurement for long-lead items keep programmes intact.” 

“Decision ‘gates’ stop last-minute swaps that undermine performance,” states Singh. “We keep a pre-vetted library of durable, available materials, bring contractors in early, and run design and procurement in parallel where possible.” For Saccal, coordination is key. “Clear documentation and coordination between architects, engineers, sustainability consultants and contractors avoids rework and often speed up the process,” she says.

Khaled AlShamaa, Co-founder and Director, XYZ Designers

The conversation with clients, too, is shifting. Adib shares, “We frame it as total cost of ownership: fewer replacements, lower energy and maintenance, and higher residual value. We also show how good planning reduces non-lettable/wasted area and optimises structure – savings that fund better envelopes and systems. Most clients accept the logic when the numbers and the comfort outcomes are clear.” Singh connects it to wellbeing and cost of ownership: “We show simple payback models, warranty lengths and maintenance intervals, then highlight the human returns – healthier air, better light, thermal comfort and a calmer, more grounded home. Most clients connect with the idea of building once, building well and leaving something of value to the next generation.” AlShamaa expands the value proposition. “Beyond economics, we emphasise brand value – tenants and buyers increasingly choose projects aligned with sustainability and long-term thinking.”

In an age of speed and disposability, the act of building well and building once, with care and foresight, is perhaps the most radical gesture of all.