By Leart Mullaademi

The day a building opens is an easy day to photograph. The harder question is what it will look like after several winters, a broken fitting and a change of caretaker.

Maintenance should be part of the architectural proposal from the beginning. For public projects in Kosovo, I would like it discussed with the same care as materials and form.

Who can reach the light fitting? Where does rainwater go when a drain blocks? Can a damaged panel be replaced individually? Does cleaning require equipment the operator does not have? These questions are ordinary. Avoiding them can make an ordinary task unnecessarily expensive.

There is a design argument here, too. A detail that depends on constant specialist attention may be less appropriate than a simpler one that a local team can repair. A durable building needs parts that people understand, access and replace.

That does not mean every project should look the same. It means the drawing should show how its particular choices survive use. A section through an entrance can explain drainage and wear as well as appearance.

ONUP could ask architects for one maintenance detail when publishing a project. Not a long technical manual: one drawing, one recurring task and an explanation of who takes responsibility.

Returning to a completed building would make the discussion stronger. Which material aged well? Which small change helped the operator? What would the designer now do differently?

A project continues long after the opening photograph. Our architectural criticism should continue with it.