Building Bad

Ochshorn contends that buildings are shaped less by their practical purpose than by the forces surrounding them. Money and policy set the boundaries within which any functional feature can operate, and those boundaries are constantly weighed against the pursuit of profit in a fiercely competitive international market. Windows or skylights meant to light offices or factories show the tension: they can admit so much solar heat that they collide with growing concern over energy use and efforts to slow global warming.

At the other extreme, the same components can be enlisted for symbolic or metaphorical ends, and those meanings may outweigh practical concerns altogether. The book also argues that a competitive drive toward artistic display pushes architects to twist buildings into shapes that are difficult to sustain.