In our modern and constantly changing aesthetics on architecture. WE should be concious of the roles in which we build our buildings. From their intent as either residential, commercial or industrial use. Buildings should always maintain proper ergonomics in which allow them to harmoniously become inspirational and even a way to revitilize a bad neighborhood with great building stock
Sadly most building plans and designs are at the mercy of the owner who is putting the capital and owns the site. Not much can be done in the design of most basic building designs when they are at the whim of the owner. The best beginning steps would be for the owners to have their buildings designed with the architect having some small sense of location to the site. Efforts to at least integrate some elements of the building in the local vernacular will help make it clash less. Meeting with the owner to help influence some more local designs can help greatly.
Research of the neighborhood and the existing building can also help in further analyzing the use of the site. One might not need as much space as say some giant warehouse because of the size limitations and the site’s accessibility to certain resources and uses may limit the uses or at least the precedent for the building to be built.
A new building doesn’t have to have an exterior shell completely imitating its neighbors if its fairly close in location. totally camouflaging a building in the local stock can seem as bold as making it contrast. Unless that is the intended effect. A building can take a more contemporary flavor. Complimentary designs can harmonize the building especially in densely packed neighborhoods with attached building stock.
Restored architecture should respect the facades at as minimum if the intent or the city demands that a historical look is needed. Restoring some building may be much more expensive than tearing them down and building them anew. but some older buildings have spaces in them since being grandfathered in would be more expensive to rebuild in the same manner. Unless the building is in such appalling condition that it MUST be demolished and built anew; element of older buildings can be restored and give a structure new life especially if the use for the (new) owner has changed,
In conclusion most building have certain ergonomics that nowadays may have become archaic and no longer profitable. Some buildings despite having maybe these features still managed to beat the test of time because they become land-marked either through the city or through the local zeitgeist. We must be able to still look at the past for influence and designs while also being conscious of the improvements and the great future that technology has allowed us to achieve. But let us not have technology squander in the most obvious examples of our great achievements. The buildings in which we create our futures.
