important reference-u.s. suburban development

Never mind the suburbs, here's the zoning pistols:

https://www.buildzoom.com/blog/pockets-of-dense-construction-in-a-dormant-suburban-interior

This extensive post by Issi Romen provides some good insights into the current trends of American urban land use. Although he outlines some solutions, he does not sound that optimistic. Towers of ilium agrees.

counter-reactionaries-brutalism

Heroic Brutalism has been compared to some of the architecture from the Victorian era, which was regarded as a style of excess. Contemporary preservationists are urging for a more sensitive treatment of Brutalist buildings and at least one line of argument is plausible: fashions change, tastes change, styles change--and sometimes everything comes round again. Since architecture is subject to criticism on the basis of function and durability, however, the ability to protect Brutalist monuments is more difficult.

Some very excessive buildings from the 19th century continue to be preserved and reused. Memorial Hall at Harvard is a notable example. It is an impressive pile of interpretative Gothic detailing. The plan is an overt frame of a cathedral. And like a cathedral, it serves a diverse (even for Harvard) congregation--particularly at mealtimes.

Herein lies a lesson for preservationists--the building has to work. And at some fundamental levels, Brutalist buildings did not work. The most notable Brutalist architects, working in the best spirit of experimental Modernism, sought to create unique geometric experiences that broke with millenia of building practices. A bit more reinforced concrete, a bit more height, a bit more cantilever were the ingredients of magazine worthy Brutalism.

The Victorian era, which was revolutionary, made it possible for Richardson to engage in his own experiments. His most successful projects were deeply restrained, but as Hitchcock noted, he was the last traditionalist. There are some successful knock-offs, like this:

But, the decorated splendor of the 19th century would give way to an age of glass and steel. Brutalism, ultimately, was a dead end. Good for photographers.

where the hell did the news go

Now that the blood has been cleaned up there's not much interest in the general media about the Florida pedestrian bridge collapse. There are some possible lessons from this absence of follow-up, and more importantly about the challenges associated with designing and building anything, anywhere, for any purpose.

-Complexity kills. Changes to complex things are necessary, but should be approached with caution

-Redundancy should not be forsaken for an assumption that better computers can solve all problems

-It takes more time than anyone appreciates

-Nothing will ever be perfect

the age of abandonment

The often overlooked ingredient of successful preservation of historic architecture is neglect. The fewer cycles of repair and replacement undertaken by the owners of a building the more authentic it is.

This house is a bit past its prime, but it is a good window into the past. Although its probable that only the chimney is original, the significant age of the windows, trim, and siding speaks to owners who respected history.

the age of loopholes

This double curved entry roof is an exceptional detail on an otherwise unexceptional house. Towers of ilium doubts that it is original. But, so what?

The recent fire at the Trump Tower in New York reveals something important about the evolution of building codes. At the time of its construction--1979--Fire Code regulations were fairly well advanced. However, residential occupancies in high rises were considered low risk, especially when compared to more public spaces like theaters and hospitals. Additionally, fire safety was still focused on the general robustness of the building structure, which was applied to skyscrapers regardless of use. We can imagine a young Donald Trump saying "Why the hell do we need to waste money on sprinklers?!" More significantly, if his design team was doing its job they would never have suggested that the client spend money on something that was not mandated by code.

So, we have one person dead, but the building is still standing. It is doubtful that the building owner will disrupt tenants and bring the sprinkler system in line with current code or best practices.