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Chris Fogarty’s latest piece in Building Design tackles a pressing issue in contemporary architecture: the rise of what he terms “fast casual architecture” – a wave of uniform, uninspired housing developments reshaping cities across the US. Chris highlights the challenges architects face as they contend with tight budgets, building codes, and local government restrictions, all of which funnel design choices into predictable, unremarkable forms. In the article, Chris explores how the typical “4-over-1” or “5-over-2” timber-framed housing project, with its repetitive façades and limited architectural ambition, has become a standard across the US. This style, he explains, emerged from changes in building codes and zoning requirements, allowing larger wood-framed buildings to be quickly and cheaply constructed. The result? Developments that look strikingly similar regardless of region – built to satisfy budgets, not to inspire. Chris calls for architects to push back against these limitations by creating thoughtful, innovative alternatives within these constraints. His insights underscore the importance of architects’ civic role in influencing the built environment, even in the face of bureaucratic and budgetary hurdles. He encourages the profession to reimagine solutions for these project types, which account for much of today’s new multi-family housing, to deliver buildings that reflect creativity and context rather than cost-cutting alone. This article is essential reading for anyone in the industry dealing with the challenges of cost-constrained housing development. It provides a thought-provoking perspective on how architects can navigate constraints and still produce designs that inspire and elevate. https://lnkd.in/ejzcM9CB #architecture #housing Fogarty Finger

Why all buildings look the same

Why all buildings look the same

bdonline.co.uk

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