設計雪梨歌劇院的建築師伍重（Jørn Utzon）曾在他發表於1962年的一篇重要文章「基座與高原」（Platforms and Plateaus）中提到，日本建築的地面對他的啟發：「地面在傳統日本房舍裡猶如一座精緻的、像橋一般的平台。⋯⋯在這裡，地面的引人程度就如同歐洲建築中的牆面。」伍重所言不一定全對，因為歐洲城市中心的廣場—尤其是南歐廣場—的鋪面，往往美麗程度不下於日本傳統屋舍的地面。雖然如此，伍重還是一語道中了地面對於空間營造的重要性。而建築師也常如他所言，常在牆面上耗盡思慮，卻少對地面設計有所著墨。
景觀建築師則不然。可能由於少有牆面可以設計，景觀建築師對於地面設計的專注度，經常勝於建築師。因此本期內容交織了建築師和景觀建築師的作品；或者說，建築師和景觀建築師的分野，並非本期所要關注。本期想要呈現的是：地面本身的魅力，以及它在空間創造上的潛力及其構築的獨特性。尤其在最後這一點上，它的自由度，著實足讓常處構築困境的建築師吃驚，並或許獲得啟發。
Jørn Utzon, architect of Sydney Opera House, once wrote about the inspirations he found from the "floor" in Japanese architecture in an important essay entitled, "Platforms and Plateaus" （1962）：
The floor in a traditional Japanese house is a delicate bridge-like platform...The floor here attracts you as the wall does in a European house.
Utzon may not be entirely right, since the paving on plazas in Europe's city centers—especially those in Southern Europe—can be as charming as the floor of a traditional Japanese house. Nevertheless, he aptly underscored the importance of the floor in the shaping of space. Architects, as he pointed out, often exert themselves over the walls but neglect the design of the floor.
The same may not be said of landscape architects. Perhaps due to the lack of walls to work with, landscape architects are often more engrossed by the design of the floor than architects. Thus, this issue features works from both architects and landscape architects. Differentiating between the architect and the landscape architect is not the chief concern here; rather, this issue endeavors to spotlight the inherent charm of the floor, its potential in shaping the space and its tectonic idiosyncrasy. The last point, in particular, is often where the free rein afforded may surprise an architect trapped in a tectonic quandary and offer inspirations.
