Do you believe in the butterfly effect? The metaphorical theory where the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings might cause a tornado, ergo, little things having non-linear, profound, and mostly unpredictable consequences. The small often sets into motion, the outsized impact of the interconnected, entropic universe.

Consequently, the more compact the endeavour, the more deliberate its intent, and the more substantial its outcome. Little things are important, not because of what they are in themselves, but because they are instrumental in what the monumental takes shape as.

This week’s issue observes the incremental power of the small: with time as a unit of change, PlasticFree x OMSE insist how ‘Time Is Running Out’; Frank Gehry’s ‘dumb little house with charm’ in Santa Monica delves into the smallest architectural typology; ‘Small Spaces in the City’ revises the challenges of micro spaces via healthy architectural solutions.

These examples signal how transformational small intents can be. Given the challenge of predicting a volatile future, can the little things continue to be harbingers of change?