RJOHNTHEBAD

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Letting Go of Lousy Buildings

the-dancing-house-prague-12114-1920x1200 I have decided that I don't want to waste anymore calories on spectacularly lousy buildings like this mess by Frank Gehry and Co. My time will probably be better spent on the mechanics of getting decent smaller scale buildings built.  There is plenty of work to be done taming overly wide streets ,repealing dopey off-street parking requirements, and helping small developer/builders get their enterprises off the ground.  Get the building in the right place.  Sort out where the front and the back is.  That's gonna have to be enough, considering the amount of effort required to get such basic things accomplished in most places.

This is not to say that lousy buildings don't bother me.  I'm just coming to terms with the reality that I'm not going to be able to do anything to slow their construction.  While the bold vandalism of Frank Gehry gets a lot of play, the problems of lousy buildings are all around us in a less flashy, but very annoying display.  For example, how much of this crappy faux lick 'n stick stone do you see slathered all over buildings these days as if it were some sort of "upgrade" material?    I'll try to limit my frustration with lousy buildings to finer grain stuff where there are straightforward household remedies for the symptoms.  I don't have a cure for whatever is afflicting Mr. Gehry.

2014-09-03 13.27.20