Posted by Mini Min on December 18, 2007, 4:28 am
Hello,
I am a student of architecture at the University of Calgary in
Alberta, Canada. For our Design Theory class we started a project to
address the issue of suburban mass produced houses. Please post the
following comment on your blog. Thank you very much!
Are cookie cutter houses destroying our identity? You know what I
mean, just go a little out of the city and you will see these row of
identical houses. You may think they are okay at first, but in
reality, the motivation behind them is merely profit for the
developers, so they want maximum profits with minimum work, which
means fast houses, which means bad workmanship, which mean higher
maintenance in the long run, which means more money, and worst of all,
you pay an arm a leg for these houses!
Just think of how bad fast food is. Now, is fast homes any
different? fast food makes you unhealthy physically - fast homes
makes you unhealthy mentally since you lost the sense of identity and
the frustration that you are being constantly betrayed by your huge
investment.
What is the solution? Well, go to here engage the issue further...
http://www.theslowhome.com/blog/outrage/ , which can be found at the
home page of http://www.theslowhome.com/
After exploring the site, and if you agree that this is indeed an
issue, then please sign the declaration on the right side of the
website, beneath the video. And please don't forget to add a comment,
question if you have one.
Thank you!
Minh Nguyen Le
Posted by John A. Weeks III on December 18, 2007, 1:14 pm
In article
> Are cookie cutter houses destroying our identity? You know what I
> mean, just go a little out of the city and you will see these row of
> identical houses. You may think they are okay at first, but in
> reality, the motivation behind them is merely profit for the
> developers, so they want maximum profits with minimum work, which
> means fast houses, which means bad workmanship, which mean higher
> maintenance in the long run, which means more money, and worst of all,
> you pay an arm a leg for these houses!
>
> Just think of how bad fast food is. Now, is fast homes any
> different? fast food makes you unhealthy physically - fast homes
> makes you unhealthy mentally since you lost the sense of identity and
> the frustration that you are being constantly betrayed by your huge
> investment.
I for one have no "loss of identity" living in a modern suburban
home with heat, air conditioning, running water, indoor toilet,
reliable electric power, and paved streets. And I got all that
without paying an arm and a leg. If you have a problem with me
or my home, consider that to be your problem. Perhaps you shouldn't
have smoked so much dope when you were in design school.
-john-
--
======================================================================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708 john@johnweeks.com
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
======================================================================
Posted by Howard Beale on December 18, 2007, 2:51 pm
John A. Weeks III wrote:
> I for one have no "loss of identity" living in a modern suburban
> home with heat, air conditioning, running water, indoor toilet,
> reliable electric power, and paved streets. And I got all that
> without paying an arm and a leg. If you have a problem with me
> or my home, consider that to be your problem. Perhaps you shouldn't
> have smoked so much dope when you were in design school.
I'm pretty sure that indoor plumbing, climate control, reliable power and
paved streets have no bearing on the monotonous, monochromatic nature of
subdivisions out there. Lots of unique, interesting neighborhoods also
have those features.
I agree with the OP up to a point, most suburban developments are soulless
and devoid of redeeming design features. There's a point, though, where if
we're going to build decent homes for lots of people we have to apply some
industrial-scale design and building practices that make it hard for each
one to be some architect's design statement.
Posted by John A. Weeks III on December 18, 2007, 6:00 pm
> I agree with the OP up to a point, most suburban developments are soulless
> and devoid of redeeming design features.
I guess friends can disagree. I don't want a house with a soul. I want
one where blankity-blank roof doesn't leak. And one that I can afford to
heat in the winter, and can afford to pay the taxes on. I want the
most possible square feet for the least possible money. If that means
that scroll work becomes a flat board, the brick is entry level, and
the shingles are flat, then so be it. None of those items impacts
my sense of well being. And I sure don't want someone building
something goofy next to me just to make a "statement".
-john-
--
======================================================================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708 john@johnweeks.com
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
======================================================================
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> mean, just go a little out of the city and you will see these row of
> identical houses. You may think they are okay at first, but in
> reality, the motivation behind them is merely profit for the
> developers, so they want maximum profits with minimum work, which
> means fast houses, which means bad workmanship, which mean higher
> maintenance in the long run, which means more money, and worst of all,
> you pay an arm a leg for these houses!
>
> Just think of how bad fast food is. Now, is fast homes any
> different? fast food makes you unhealthy physically - fast homes
> makes you unhealthy mentally since you lost the sense of identity and
> the frustration that you are being constantly betrayed by your huge
> investment.