ABSTRACT
At all scales, the assembly of the topographic setting to meet current needs goes hand in hand with the often painstakingly slow pace of institutional change. Loosely fitting assemblies facilitate dynamic reinterpretation. This chapter is concerned with the implications of the pace of change on design and the creative imagination in contemporary society where we have a wide choice of technology. As an aid to formal familiarity, the chapter looks first at buildings with loose fit credentials to see how they respond to change by privileging the adjustment to fabric redundancy. Then, in order to understand the impact of a loose fit approach on the city metabolism we examine two situations (south London and Tema, Ghana). Finally, lessons learned from and applied within these two situations are used to provide guidance on an appropriate mix of factory and site-based production techniques for meaningful civic engagement with topographic transformation and city making.
