The last couple of years I have started to notice that the majority of buildings are truly ugly. In the United States, there seems to be an ugly building phenomenon. It is unclear if this phenomenon is going largely unnoticed, or if society has accepted it for what it is.
My hope is that society will push for a change in the way buildings are created and maintained. Buildings should be both functional and beautiful. We see buildings every single day. Do we want to continue to live our lives subjected to viewing poorly designed buildings made from repugnant material? If we don’t, we need to be vociferous and advocate for change.
The Ugly Building Phenomenon
If you are reading this article thinking, what is she talking about? I’ve never seen an ugly building before. I have a question for you: have you seen a strip mall before? Old worn-out strip malls are everywhere. They are one of the ugliest types of buildings. Strip mall owners don’t seem to care that their buildings are eyesores for all who pass by.
This is clear by the fact that so many strip malls aren’t being repaired or well maintained. Strip malls also have poor architect design and appear to be made from extremely cheap material. I am so sick of seeing stucco covered buildings everywhere I turn. It isn’t that stucco itself is necessarily ugly; it’s the color and texture of stucco being used. I want buildings to be both functional and beautiful. We live in the modern times; I know that it’s possible to create buildings that can be both.
The Problem
The problem of course lies with money. Most commercial building owners aren’t willing to pay extra money to have a building designed to be beautiful. They know that businesses will rent a space out despite the building being poorly designed. This is because business owners know that as long as they sell a product that consumers want, they will get business. It doesn’t matter if the building is mediocre or if the strip mall is an eyesore for the public, people will still come and give their money to the business. In the end, society suffers; we are stuck with ugly buildings for decades, if not our whole lives.
Solution: Show a Market for Beautiful Buildings
How do we solve the ugly building phenomenon? I’m not entirely sure. A good place to start might be to show that there is a market for beautiful buildings. As community, we need to make it clear that we want nice buildings. This may mean that we need to be willing to pay a price.
Maybe as a community we donate money to help pay for better building designs and better-quality material. Perhaps we become more willing to spend a little extra money at businesses that pay for well-designed buildings. An alternative would be to spend the same amount of money, but to go to those businesses more frequently and to favor them over businesses that contribute to the ugly building phenomenon. Hopefully, demonstrating that there is a market for beautiful buildings will lead to the end of the ugly building phenomenon.
What’s Your Solution to the Ugly Building Phenomenon?
If you have a different solution to the ugly building phenomenon, leave a comment down below.