regarding old buildings...

Why don't we {architects} design like this anymore? By this, I am referring to awkward spaces and tiny, cubbyhole doors. I know it's not very practical, but I think there is just something really special about homes with weird plans and strange spaces. It makes a home feel more lived in, and shows how people made useful spaces out of awkward corners through the years, instead of having everything laid out in an organized way in plan before the house is even built. Spaces like this just remind me that people didn't used to automatically move when they wanted a bigger house, they would add spaces and rooms in attics or dormers, or add complete additions onto a house. People made their homes work for their specific needs and families often stayed in the home for generations. I love how these additions can tell a story about who lived there, how the family grew, and what was going on in history at that time.

source: home sweet home

I guess the point I'm getting at is that I think we need to take a better look at older buildings and realize that we don't always have to tear them down to build something that will be practical in the 21st century. I also think that when we do build new, we need to build better. We need to design flexible buildings, buildings that can be changed to better suit different needs over time. A house doesn't always have to be a house, and an industrial factory doesn't always have to be a factory.

I don't know what the best solution is, but I feel like a lot of architects only think about new construction and all of the crazy things we can do with technology and engineering. I also think that to become a more sustainable country we need to make better use of the existing buildings that we already have before we build brand new "green" buildings. Did I mention that I HATE the word "green". So annoying, it's become such a trend. Not that I don't follow any trends, because I definitely do {aka blogging, among other things} but the word green has become just another brand. I hate seeing ads or commercials when they basically say "buy this, it's green!" or "fill-in-the-blank has gone GREEN!". Sustainability is definitely important, in fact, I think it needs to be a top priority for everyone, but I don't think this "green" trend is really teaching anyone what it's really all about. Not to say that I am living the "green" life to its fullest (I think I just cringed as I wrote that using the word green), but hey, at least I don't drive a hybrid Escalade and I think I'm saving the world just for buying it....