What Happened to American Housing? Part 1: Art Deco

[@michaelrusso8466]

I live in NYC, in a neighborhood where numerous prewar buildings are being torn down and replaced by low-quality luxury apartments. The housing advocates say adding more units is the only thing that matters - what those units look like is irrelevant. That's resulted in a slew of new-ish buildings that are already falling apart after a few years in service, contributing to an atmosphere of apathy, cynicism, and alienation. The built environment has real impact on the health of a community and its residents.

[@BrentHull]

100% it is very important and too many people ignore it. Thanks for your comments.

[@InsaneNuYawka]

Which neighborhood is this ??

[@dennisdean3925]

Brent, you express what I've felt for many years. The 'old' downtowns in many cities have wonderful, and often abandoned, buildings that have magnificent craftsmanship from center-pivot windows, and exquisite exterior lighting and interior chandeliers to ornate elevator doors and more. I love your passion and inspiring work to 'bring back some of that pride in housing and construction projects.

[@BrentHull]

Well said! Thanks so much.

[@Treehandler]

No one needs to wait two months to find out, American houses are so ugly because of over optimization. Fitting as big of a house into as small of a space after clear cutting anything organic on the property with no regard for the history or existing infrastructure in the surrounding area.

[@pcatful]

Most houses are not designed, let alone designed for a specific site. Our needs for a house have changed and don't fit every traditional standard. At the same time I don't agree with making a pretty box at the expense of the needs and comfort of the inhabitants. It takes skill to work with both. There are so many angles, we could discuss this until March.

[@BrentHull]

THx. I'm glad we're like minded.

[@petersallay5221]

Big part of the blame lies with developers who laid out communities to optimize margin and architects that completely disregard any established rules for beauty. In our community there is a trend to stuff gigantic homes with oversized proportions and a complete lack of attention to scale.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

OK this is all overstating the situation. I live in 1890 railroad labor housing developments. These are basic 6-700sf homes. There are random nice homes and buildings and homes in the area because it was developed with the city providing the infrastructure. With consistent streets which allowed some people having 12 lots, a typical home would be on 2 lots. Endless tract homes from the 1800s to the 1940s have been bulldozed. They were junk. So the problem that I often here around classicism is lying about homes and how they were built in the past. Remember all of this was done in an Era of red lining.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

I want to say I'm a fan of Brent's work. If you want to promote classical design, you have to be honest about what part of the market you're talking about.

[@raimyjaramillo2515]

I think something also worth mentioning is how the car dependent suburb changed how people build. Much of the art deco buildings were built prior to or at the beginning of car culture in the US. If you are driving in a car dependent area and speeding down the highway you are less likely to see the nuance and beauty of architecture on buildings. There is a reason why the majority of art deco buildings were built in or near downtown areas, because as you walked by you were able to really appreciate the craftsmanship. Any architect is less likely to design a beautiful building if most people will ignore it zipping past on the highway in the car. This is one of the reasons why suburbs are so devoid of beauty filled with strip malls and ugly big box stores. These are places built for consumption and convivence, not art, intentional design, and beauty. I live in Chicago and every time I got for a walk, I am in awe of all these beautiful examples of art deco everywhere. Its so amazing to have beauty in small residential housing, commercial real estate, and big skyscraper's.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. There is no doubt cars have contributed to the mess. It begins in earnest after WWII. Read Suburban Nation. It will explain in fuller detail.

[@TahoeQ]

Your videos answer questions I've had since childhood - primarily, why are things so ugly? It's hard to not become a little sad to think that I happen to live in the dark ages of beauty. How do we get people to believe in beauty again?

[@BrentHull]

That is my exact question.

[@damonroberts7372]

It's not because people liked telephone exchanges, but because people _loved_ their communities, that people used to put more thought and effort into "utility". If you value your community, you don't want eyesores scattered through it. Whether you have to live/work in it or not, whether you personally have to look at it every day or not. The post-WWII period correlates with increasing mobility and atomization. But the other thing is, wartime austerity went beyond habit and became a moral end-in-itself. The _problem_ with austerity is that it comes with "opportunity costs" (like not having an attractive built environment to live in, and failure to create skilled jobs in construction).

[@BrentHull]

Word. Well said. Thx.

[@janderson8401]

The only people deciding that the telephone exchange should be beautiful were the people running the phone company. Had those people decided that the building should be erected at the lowest possible, it would have turned out looking like a cheap box no matter how much the people of that city loved their community. At that time business and civic leaders felt a responsibility to the greater community. There was also a sense of building for generations. Your factory would stand for decades, providing good jobs for the city or town. Now corporations are run using the MBA group think of that says the primary if not only goal is ever increasing quarterly profits. Why invest a cent more than absolutely necessary since we might be offered a better tax deal from another state a few years from now, or better yet we’ll just move everything but the sales office to Asia.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Keep in mind that utilities had much higher profit margins when they built nice buildings. It was a way to give back a bit and cities looked on development more favorably when done this way.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

This turned into a rant, so I came back to say this is meant as an opening to underlying issue prevent design of the past being used today. There is room with today's pricing and tech to implement improvements in design. Careful on the provide skilled jobs comments😊 We've spent 50 denigrating construction workers. Even your "skilled" comment has been used to denigrate non union workers. We have the demand for workers and we can't fill jobs that pay more than a non STEM college grad make. We can't fill the jobs that pay more than STEM. Would you call a roofer a skilled trade???? Great roofer I used as a contractor and had him to my dad's house labor only, I provided all materials and ran as a goffer. Market rate he and his top helper wrapped it up and I tipped them about a $100 in tools and a $100 cash each. Then ran what they grossed. $170 a man hour. Basically he works on tract homes sub 800k as 95% of his work. No copper, no slate, no clay, no tiles. Why can't we fill jobs that pay over 200k a year?????? Women have been told it's not for them by parents. Women bring home a construction worker or a fireman? Who makes a better impression. When someone has a parade for roofers is when I'll say our country is trying to take the housings shortage seriously. And don't say Labor day is that parade because the unions don't pay 170hr and they hate LEGAL immigrants. Sorry for the rant but I had some time. I'm trying to point out a lot of the underlying issues we have to deal with if we're really going to improve the design of homes. I really support Brent and he's the best educator on the internet for construction. Many people never get to see top tier homes so they don't know how high they can go in a trade. I was blessed to work on top tier for 20 years. I know we can build better and we are in many ways. The last area is design because if you build to code you have a good house.(OK maybe 10 % above code😊)

[@DietrichPfister]

I just purchased a craftsman bungalow built in 1909 after spending over a decade living in a giant 1960s split-entry that bored me to tears. I stumbled on this channel a couple weeks ago and it has been incredibly informative. It really gets me excited to start working on my own place to preserve its charm.

[@BrentHull]

I love it!! Congrats and best of luck.

[@pcatful]

Besides the architecture that telephone building looks like it was built with excellent materials and details. Made to last.

[@BrentHull]

Word. Thanks for sharing.

[@lawyer1165]

For many years, I rode by, and later drove by, the Uniroyal building alongside I-5 in the City of Industry, CA. I never tired of looking at that building.

[@BrentHull]

Nice. Thanks for sharing.

[@markjohnson429]

The way we build is a reflection of our society... I agree with you. And when you go deeper, what are the fundamental changes in our culture that express themselves in our buildings? Clearly it expresses some kind of a rot. That's the real question, but I realize that's not what your channel is about. You're a builder and not pretending to be a philosopher and I respect that. Nevertheless you're highlighting the question in your way and that's a good thing. Wish you continued success!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks so much. Our architecture does reflect our culture. I'm scared what it says.

[@grayfiresoul]

I can happily say that this is the video that earned you my subscription. The decline in the quality, care, mindfulness, and classical human expressiveness in modern architecture directly correlates with a decline in the quality/health of culture, at least in the West's case. If ever I'm able to get my home designed and built, I can promise you that it'll not follow any sort of artistic convention (or lack thereof) after 1940. Maybe not for my home, but for public and commercial buildings or private manors, I'm captivated by Beaux-Arts; the more glass and more properly-directed natural sun, the better.

[@BrentHull]

Nice. Thanks for the sub and good luck.

[@stephen7938]

I'm excited, ready to watch. from the series description alone I know we're guna hear a whole lot about how we stopped being a student of the past and I couldn't agree more.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks, I'm excited.

[@JorgeVonninger]

As a Designer who draws a lot of historic facades in my area, I greatly appreciate your work Brent.

[@BrentHull]

Thx so much.

[@ZachGorham44]

Love the content Brent. Thank you for all the work you put into your videos. I wasn’t very knowledgeable about Art Deco before. Fascinating to learn the history of it.

[@BrentHull]

Good to know. Thanks!!

[@bobparks2764]

Currently renovating a mid 40’s home. I hired a 70 year old architect for the project known for getting the details correct. The exterior of the home is very well done, good lines and design elements. The interior is mostly vanilla molding and flat panel doors. Looking into Windsor one mill work to breath life into the interior. Your videos and books are very helpful.

[@BrentHull]

That is awesome! Good luck!

[@PaulJacksonOttawa]

Brent I learn a ton from your videos and use what I learn with my clients all the time. Super inspiring content you create here. I can't thank you enough. Great great video. I watched it twice.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks so much!!

[@kennethharman2779]

I think New England, or at least my region, held on to some of those craftsmen, We build so much that is custom or replicated from the old houses; pre 1900

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. That is what I found.

[@darrenmarsh2290]

I think on the east coast you guys are more accustomed to the old style then the west. People are more exposed so they know whats out there. I live in LA County and can some homes in some of the poorer communities are nice. They where built before 1940. After 1940 we had a huge building boom and speed won. Because of that we got used to simplicity and lost all of that great architecture. There is more, but I don't like long texts. Bring back the porch.

[@MrNurserob]

The telephone building was built by the Bell System, and it was likely a central office building, where thousands of step-by-step dialing equipment was housed to place the call from each individual telephone in its area and route it out or in through the proper circuit. The Bell System prioritized designing their central offices- tiny ones for small towns, large ones for cities- to fit in where they were put. Some looked just like an area home if it were built in a residential area, and like that one - likely in a more commercial location - was designed to look like it belonged, and was it done on purpose. There’s several interesting videos from the mid 20th century converted from film to KZbin digital put out by Bell System and Western Electric at that time which go into how they did things.

[@BrentHull]

Good info. Thanks for sharing.

[@jefflawrentz1624]

I agree with you Brad, I find brutalistic to be stunningly ugly and very cold, uninviting. Thank you for this tutorial!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks!!

[@lizzapaolia959]

Fantastic video, asking important questions on the lack of craftsmanship in many of the buildings and homes built in 2/24. You're knowledge and passion on architecture is valuable to anyone who sees the true decline in modern buildings. Thank you again for an outstanding video 🙏 God bless you 🙏

[@BrentHull]

So glad it was helpful! Thx.

[@YourLoyalDeserter]

Our values when it comes to building are influenced by our material conditions. That is really what has changed. A material need for cheap building in the post-war period made us value cheap building and stop valuing beauty in average buildings.

[@BrentHull]

Good point. Thx.

[@BenneWill]

One of the arguments I hear about why we can't do this... is because we no longer have "old growth" forests. Old growth actually means the length of time it takes for a tree to reach full maturity. When it comes to the most popular building materials such as pine, maple, oak, and walnut... those species of trees reach full maturity in 20-50 years. While I agree we shouldn't chop down 4000 year old redwoods and sitka spruce in California, there is no excuse for why we couldn't continue to build homes and furniture with solid woods... other than that it wouldn't be as profitable and would take more time.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Thx

[@justinbradshaw5112]

Thank you for the great video, Brent. I'm really looking forward to watching this series and I'm fully on board!

[@BrentHull]

Great to hear! Thx.

[@thenexthobby]

I'll be watching the series. The challenge as I see it is that there would have been an intention to move away from beauty or interest and change for change's sake, for one. For another, we began to not value the function or stature older buildings represented. What I'm saying is, it's hard to get to something so many wanted to get away from. Many will probably never agree something was lost. My chief takeaway however, is that we simply found ways to build for less cost and so, did that because we could.

[@BrentHull]

Good summation. Thanks.

[@Indylimburg]

It's sad because in my area all the old school buildings that were like this have been torn down and replaced with bland brick and glass. We need to get back to using the language of architecture.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Thx.

[@jenniferzennifer6949]

Because we are forced to use cheap materials due to cost constraints and true craftsman are rare

[@BrentHull]

Thanks. Agree on Craft, don't 100% degree on force, but sometimes we are driven by bad habit to go for the cheapest.

[@613kc]

The steady decline in the standard of living has been masterfully hidden. i.e. I remember my Dad's many gasoline credit cards. An Attendant: "Fill it up, windows, check tires, how's the oil? Today I pump the gas - while "they" blast obnoxious commercials at me. (ps Across the street from the gas station is an Amazon warehouse) 😥

[@ACBStudios]

This is a reason I see given regularly, but I think it's more often a matter of taste. The truth is that a vast majority of architects, financers, and developers have convinced themselves that the various post-war styles are the way to go.

[@613kc]

@@KurtisHord- You make bricks?

[@613kc]

@@KurtisHord Then fire w/ charcoal?

[@greggoralogia7401]

Hi Brent, love the look into art deco here. I know there is little American precedent with the style but it might be interesting to do a similar video look at art nouveau architecture. In many ways I think it is similar in its rejection of classical motifs and ornamentation but uses the scale and proportions of classical form. Some of the moldings like at villa majorelle in Nancy, Fr are just unreal.

[@BrentHull]

Good idea. I love Art Nouveau. Thx.

[@stenzeliron6818]

Man another great episode. As a lover of great architecture I appreciate Deco. But personally find it horrendous. I will work in almost any style for a customer but won’t touch art deco. It almost makes me sick. But I appreciate it. I just love all of your shows great stuff I’m learning so much. If I can make a request I’d ask for more ironwork!! Thanks Brent!!

[@BrentHull]

Nice. thanks for sharing. Let me find more on Iron work.

[@cborecky]

The flipside of this valid sentiment is that we were building ugly houses prior to WW2 - large chunks of the population lived in shacks covered in tar-paper or rolled roofing, thrown together tenaments, poorly done add-ons with lean-to roofs, scrap lumber, etc. and the architecture which survives today was generally built/bought by the wealthiest people. That became an argument for fast-and-cheap, and the idea of beauty being an add-on feature for those who could afford it. Also, perhaps the people buying Leavittown houses simply decided to declare their products beautiful because these houses represented an escape from the shacks and tenements which to them represented the old way of building. Strangely, we're at a point today where we can buy neither cheapness nor beauty. Attempts are being made to achieve the best of both worlds (e.g. "tiny houses") but so far nothing is catching on. It's still snout-house or McMansion at the low and high ends. I've often fantasized about being a developer and building neighborhoods of rectangular brick houses with simple rooflines and craftsman porches on narrow lots like you see in the first or second rings of St. Louis for example. Basic and economically pragmatic, yet still beautiful and expressive of a lifestyle oriented toward neighborhood friends and family rather than consumerism. At some point you realize such a project would not sell well because it does not express the values of our age.

[@BrentHull]

Interesting and insightful. Thanks.

[@ashdav9980]

Zoning regulations are going to stop you before you even get started with that utopia list of yours. Take it from someone who works in development. In today’s world…you design the product the zoning department dictates and pray you don’t loose your shirt on it.

[@brentfisher6484]

Wow. Wonderful topic and I agree with you 100%. There are many reasons this paradigm shift in our collective design aesthetic has occured, but I wonder if part of it is because this was (at the time) a way to express the country's pride?

[@BrentHull]

Interesting. I suspect that is part of it. Thx.

[@michaelbissen1946]

This is going to be a fun series!

[@BrentHull]

I hope... Thanks for watching.

[@nonawolf7495]

I have been looking for an untouched Mid century Modern home .... very hard to find. Over the years, most have been thoughtlessly "updated" to the point where they have lost their appeal. Mod on the outside - insipid HGTV soul-less box on the inside. We are losing the best examples of residential housing this country has ever produced. Very sad.

[@BrentHull]

Word!! Thx.

[@nathengrayye5546]

I agree with your commentary on architecture. An architect friend of mine, told me building codes implemented after world war 2 ruined architecture. It was all about taking things down to the bare minimum. Now we have the Dwell ing of housing. As in the magazine Dwell.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Its a problem.

[@will-smith-nh]

Great video. Thank you.

[@BrentHull]

Glad you liked it!

[@CheeseBae]

The USA adopted the Modernism of Le Corb and Mies because we were embarrassed about not having our own architectural identity. The lack of a unique American style was something that bothered a lot of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. Modernism was supposed to project and reinforce the identity of the USA as a modern, rational, and industrial country. Traditional architecture? That represents the warmongering Europeans. At least that's what people thought then. Our influence helped spread Modernism around the world.

[@BrentHull]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@willbass2869]

Whatcha talkin' about...we imported "warmongering European" architecture..... Bauhaus etc. post WWII Ever been to the LBJ school of public affairs complex at UT Austin? Looks like the Austrian "moustache man's" plans for Neu Berlin.....only redeeming factor was they used beautiful Texas limestone ( *EVERYWHERE* )

[@t.a.d.m.a55]

If you want too see a modem version of architects designing a utility building thoughtfully check out the Stanford University Central Energy Facility

[@BrentHull]

Will do. Thx.

[@KentuckyGirl]

Is it true that there's no good examples of Art Nouveau architecture in the United States, or is there not any Art Nouveau architecture in United States, only in Europe?

[@BrentHull]

Hmm, i think that is true. . . i think

[@uncleted9362]

Best channel on KZbin

[@BrentHull]

Thanks so much!

[@rorkgoose1774]

Boston city hall looks like it could/should be INGSOC's headquarters.

[@BrentHull]

Noted. Thx.

[@sgtpppr]

Can more beautiful buildings based on classic porportions be created from modern construction materials? Or do modern materials limit the creation of designs that are tradionally seen as more beautiful?

[@BrentHull]

I don't see how modern materials can't be used to create classical proportions. It is in the details where a lot of modern materials fail. Thx.

[@nathalie_desrosiers]

I am a simple mind. I see 'Art Deco' somewhere in a randomly suggested video and I click. Nice vid by the way.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for watching!

[@willbass2869]

Amazing how America was one of the winners in WWII (the physically unscathed one) but we turned around and adopted, whole hog, Albert Speer's vision of scale & ornamentation mated to Bauhaus boxiness. I've been scratching my head for decades wondering, "who really won".

[@BrentHull]

Good question. Thx.

[@willbass2869]

@@KurtisHord move along. Neither you nor your opinion are worth spit

[@ryansoo4000]

Hmm. I posted a comment two days ago in which I included a link to a recent Stewart Hicks video on the recurrence of Art Deco architecture in America and now I don't see it. Is KZbin removing comments with links to other videos or websites in them because they think it's spam?

[@BrentHull]

Hmm, I'll look. I had some videos in the "held for review" area but i didn't see that one. Please resend.

[@ryansoo4000]

I sent the link in a reply, but if it's deleted again the video on Stewart Hicks channel is called "The Strange Return of Art Deco in America@@BrentHull

[@98Zai]

I don't mind the 70's part at all. It's just a different style, more minimal and futuristic. I like the way the building expanded and transformed over time, incorporating so many styles. It's definitely unique and very special. I honestly prefer them not trying to imitate the old style, because then we wouldn't be able to differentiate this way and see the growth and change so vividly.

[@BrentHull]

ok

[@98Zai]

@@BrentHull yes

[@TotemoGaijin]

Lots of people back in the day procured their own materials, and did at least part of the construction with their own 2 hands, not contracting out to some guy who sends a crew of people who don't speak a word of English (He probably had a lot of German friends though, lol). My great grandpa, when building the house we live in, had a horse, a cart, and a shovel to gather all the dirt needed to build up a grade for drainage on what was back then flat and swampy land (Great Black Swamp). When you've got that much of yourself invested in your home, you're more likely to care about how it looks.

[@BrentHull]

Good point. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertbamford8266]

Provocative! (As in making you think.). “Brutalistic” - looks Soviet or perhaps needs a sign “do not pick up hitchhikers”. Always seemed like companies invested in an architecture that displayed their values (solidity, dependability, contemporary). Makes me wonder about today’s strip mall Wells Fargo versus even the smallest Shawmut Bank branch.

[@613kc]

The 1933 dollar worth a penny today. Hell of it is; the zinc penny isn't worth a cent.

[@BrentHull]

Interesting. Thanks.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Come on you anti Brutalist's quit putting up crap city building in comparison to the Chrysler building. At least put up the Salk institute. 😊😊😊😊 I like Brutalist because after working top tier homes for years I'm trying to do entry level homes and exposed concrete is thw only way I can do high performance at that level.

[@sharksport01]

Read a book by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings called Homes of the Brave. It explains a lot.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for the rec. I'll find it.

[@MarkZart]

Modern architecture and houses are aesthetically disgusting. There are many contributing factors, from social engineering to the educational system. There are very few artisans left, and virtually no apprenticing. People just don’t seem to care. Sad.

[@BrentHull]

I agree, but also think there is reason to hope. If the consumer asks for it, the builders will change.

[@erawanpencil]

The fundamental value that's changed is we've replaced appreciating the present to always living in the future. 'We'll make it prettier later when we have more time/ money' etc. People are separating from the present moment to chronic rumination in higher and higher levels of abstraction removed from daily life. It's a lifestyle that works for some, but if you appreciate beauty of any kind it's really toxic.

[@BrentHull]

Very interesting. Thanks.

[@DonTrell]

considering the amount of buildings that started to be built after WW2? especially at the same time EVERYWHERE including Europe. It was necessarily that people gave up on traditional or artistic architectural aspects, although i'm sure that also played a role. it was that we needed to source cheaper materials. on an industrial scales, concrete, steel, wood, asphalt, vinyl, whatever pick your favoite, all become a factor in cost that favors mass scale implementation of new home and commercial building construction. you gotta remember the population rate increased MASSIVELY following WW2 in the west. the appetite for energy and materials in a rapidly growing economy pushes down quality for cost. i dont know - just my thought on the subject too. great video tho!

[@BrentHull]

Good point, and agreed. Those things absolutely caused change. We also learned some bad habits in the process. Thx.

[@AF-O6]

Where do I find a Hull certified architect who specializes in smaller, historic (Georgian or like in Williamsburg) homes? I’ve watch most of your videos and am buying the books you recommends. I’m a carpenter and woodworker, but not a designer…I can build most anything in a pattern book, but have no talent to design an entire house.

[@BrentHull]

Good question. I have a couple of designers/architect that work for me. Happy to help.

[@AF-O6]

@@BrentHull Thank you! I’ll use the contact info on Hullworks when I’m ready.

[@davidbeckwith7598]

I blame it on the 4 x 8 sheet of plywood

[@BrentHull]

modularization and standardization. Thx

[@Fan_Of_Film96]

New houses are virtually all the same: bland, open floor plans, Vinyl flooring, cardboard doors. There's very little in the way of beauty or character.

[@BrentHull]

Couldn't agree more.

[@fightington]

EVERYTHING wrong with houses has the same cause as anything in real estate - banks making money from thin air in the form of mortgages - (they write the contract and repaying the mortgage, with interest, with real money), plus speculation and FOMO drives that prices to artificial levels, (ppl aren't making more money than even 30 years ago). When you understand how the financial system works you see how all of this happens - and how the wealth moves from those who work/innovate to those who just make the money - and one outcome is a reduction in housing quality at a rate that inversely mirrors a graph of compounding wealth drain to the banks

[@BrentHull]

Ok. Thx.

[@truthserum5202]

What happened was everything became price driven and finding ways to get the emerging Middle Class into affordable housing post WWII. There's no crime in that. You can't expect to make inexpensive houses look like old upper class mansions.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed, the problem is what it taught and how it changed the mind frame of builders after this era. Cheap and fast became too dominant.

[@DeuceDeuceBravo]

Is this really 73 days away? 😄

[@BrentHull]

Yes, sorry.

[@SteveL2012]

One primary reason they became big ugly boxes is because of builders wanting to squeeze every last dime of profit out of homes. Craftsmanship means expensive materials and labor. Framing and bare sheetrock does not. It’s simple greed. I suppose that people in the 50s/60s also were deluded into thinking the simplicity was modern. No, good modern design is costly and not easily replicable for tract houses.

[@BrentHull]

True. Thanks.

[@lindacgrace2973]

Love your content, Brent. But I take offense at your slur on Phoenix architecture. Although infected with modern suburbs, like most American cities, the southwest style (adapted from Mexican, Spanish, and local Pueblo style architecture) is unique, specific to (and appropriate for) the desert climate and beautiful in its own right.

[@BrentHull]

Understood and agree when it is done well. However, most i have seen is a cheap version of the original AND it is copied everywhere. I like the original. My 2 cents.

[@lindacgrace2973]

@@BrentHull I grew up in So Cal. My dad was an architect, and we both admired the Spanish Colonial revivals of the 20s and 30s especially in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Silverlake, and old Hollywood. You and I are definitely on the same page - ersatz haciendas rendered in cheap stucco with "you can't tell the difference" synthetic tile roofs are no different than Hardy plank mis-proportioned "colonials" that are modern houses with bad trim and worse roof lines. (WHY did 15 different non-weatherproof ugly competing roof lines become a 'thing'?) Confession time: I'm designing my own retirement home as a Spanish Colonial. That's why I bug you to do a deep dive on Spanish Revival style homes every few months!

[@dpf1119]

Sadly, with building materials and interest rates sky high, there will be a drive to less ornamentation and more utilitarian building. What I call inside out design. It doesn’t have to be this way but if we allow the macro (supply chain, shipping costs, money supply, inflation, labor costs and availability) to be in peril, the micro (design craftsmanship and detail) will be perennially doomed.

[@willbass2869]

I think if typical housing footprint were reduced by 1/3(?) then savings in commodity material (concrete is crazy expensive) could be diverted to "nicer" finishes and design

[@BrentHull]

Ok. Thanks.

[@brightredtulip]

AMEN!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks!

[@DefensisIndus]

Honestly I feel like 'Art Deco' is some of USA's most iconic architecture 👍

[@BrentHull]

I agree!!! thx.

[@georgem7195]

Buildings are an expression of our humanity, values, culture, art and so much more, certainly more than just utility. Sadly, today’s hurried and tasteless structures resemble the state our society has found itself in..

[@BrentHull]

Word.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Brent i challenge thee!!!!! Do a video on brutalism, a possitive one. Most building of the style were done as low budget government buildings. If you want to see a good architecture film thats not about architecture watch "My Architech". It shows a lot of Kahns buildings warts and all. I think the current minimalist movement is doing everything they can to no do brutilist features. So they end up putting up fake material to make it look like an exposed element at a cost higher than just doing a chunk of wood or conrete. Come on, Brent, YOU CAN DO IT.

[@BrentHull]

A very interesting challenge. I'll review and get back to you. Thx.

[@CarmelinaM]

Beauty is divine and comes from God. Beautiful architecture is uplifting, inspiring and pleases the soul.Profits are ungodly and of course they can only exude ugliness. If beauty is not important to a developer, our world will continue to get uglier and uglier and uglier. Bring back beautiful architecture someone, anyone!

[@BrentHull]

Well said! Thx.

[@DrMJJr]

I hear “Art Deco” I immediately think “Hollywood”!!!!

[@BrentHull]

Interesting. Thx.

[@aaronabbott9595]

I know exactly what you're saying, all these amazing old homes are being torn down and they're just building boxes and their place. What is wrong with people, all these new places are emotionless, faceless, drab, and completely devoid of any personality. It's so sad and frustrating. Where are these stupid new designs coming from and why would anybody agree to build such monstrosities. I love art deco and art nouveau, as well as Belle Époque. Art Deco was a step back from the elaborate, organic art nouveau. Art deco is more robust, bold, stylized, industrial, geometric, angular, and focused on basic shapes instead of intricate organic detail even though our Deco can be quite detailed.

[@BrentHull]

Crazy, thanks for watching.

[@invisableobserver]

As far as the art deco buildings, we lost the true technology to build such wonderful ornate buildings; if you research art deco buildings & thier so-called arcitects, you will find they were built in 1928 & 29, most stated that they were completed in just one year, which is an impossibility considering the tools available at that time, it is not even possible today. There is too many lies that just don't add up to the history of these buildings. I blame the loss of housing design on robberbaron land grabbing greedy developers, I despise developers & realtors, they are the lowest forms of life on earth.

[@BrentHull]

Interesting. Thx.

[@Genologic]

The decline of Christianity and people who actually read the Bible is directly correlated to this decline in architecture. People used to build with the glorification of God in mind. This mindset no longer exists and people fall for the greed/capitalism trap of maximizing profit.

[@BrentHull]

A lot truth there. but not the complete story. Thx.

[@markbriley]

You must have visited WA state - I swear, they couldn't build a decent looking house to save their lives.

[@BrentHull]

Ha. Well sorry about that.

[@LR-uk4dh]

Affordability… Money, money, money!

[@BrentHull]

Noted. thx.

[@billk8780]

A post-WWII architectural style, if you dare use that label, was the Kodak-slide windowed corporate building. Ugh! Methinks most corporate board members don't want to vote to spend money on architects.

[@BrentHull]

I agree. Thomas Wolfes book From Bauhaus to Our House is good.

[@SupaFly10579]

All the new things they create are so ugly. I am in NYC and Upstate. They both have gorgeous old homes. Some people respect the old homes and some don't. The immigrants especially. They rent out old houses and they are destroyed by people. Then when I hear "downtown revitalization", I know it's more ugly buildings going up.

[@BrentHull]

A lot of truth to that.

[@Slippedndipped]

The addition is garbage, my guess is that it was the price. They could have kept the look going but decided to not spend the money.

[@BrentHull]

Its a mystery. They probably thought it was great when they did it.

[@whiteserpent6753]

For a series of addition oddities/mismatches, I recommend looking at the University of Washington’s Suzzallo-Allen library if you can find good pictures. It tends to be difficult to find pictures of the third phase of construction, which is all modernist steel and glass. They photograph the front most, and occasionally the red brick Allen (fourth phase) addition.

[@alexzicker]

Too late for America, it went from promise to decadence in a single step, Mickey Mouse is the best it leaves to posterity.

[@BrentHull]

Yikes! I think there are positive things happening with New Urbanism, and the classical movement. Thx.

[@dondumitru7093]

There is a selection bias in judging that older homes have better craftsmanship: The older homes that were built with good craftsmanship are still here and can be seen, they can be measured. But the older homes that were built with bad craftsmanship have fallen down and can no longer be seen and measured. You are seeing only the survivors, you don't have the houses that failed to survive available to you to measure their craftsmanship. This causes a skewed judgement about the overall level of craftsmanship in older homes.

[@BrentHull]

I don't think that is true. I see too many houses built in 1900 around Fort Worth. Some are good some aren't.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Yep the old Roman concrete is better line. You mean cement that never froze and has been restored multiple times is better than UHPC???? I point out that many places with craftsman houses were tract homes. The Washington Park area in denver was that. One builder did 400 house there. In the late 90s and 2000s builders would drive the streets after big snow storms. Find a collapsed roof and offer to buy it as is. Homeowner has a check to repair it and a 3-400k offer from the builder. By 2010 they were just land value and scraped. I would say maybe 1 in 10 had truly nice features and trim, many of those were updated or expanded. The development department used saving the feel of that area as the basis of our code for 10 years. They didnt listen to builders just complaining neighborhood activist. In the trades we tried to tell people. After the code went into effect is when the budozers showed up I didn't see a single remodel after that. The funny thing is one builder that did about 50-100 houses. They scraped 1930s then build pretty good craftsman style houses on the lot. I'd literally laugh ant mad neighbors getting outraged as the whole place is getting scraped. Look at Google maps, Washington park area. All the houses to the east of the park to university were a development. Almost every scrape on those streets is post 2008. Even from the air I'm guessing it's 50% of the houses now if not more. Look at the street view and you'll be less than impressed with houses built "to the bulk plane".

[@sparksmcgee6641]

​@@KurtisHordman you are way off on a lot. All of us know "traditional" methods and don't use them because we can do better. Let's take that comfort year number for you and subtract the death years. Chimneys? Charcoal burning? No impervious surfaces in food areas? Hours of work to keep the house heated? Chinking and other annual maintenance??? Come on man. You're making the posters point for him. He'll was it the 1600s when Hobbes wrote human life was brutal toil and brief for most humans. You're looking back with an agenda and saying those people had all that comfort in their traditional cob homes? I'm against your agenda not you personally, you would have been one of the people supporting the first two versions of LEEDS. Notice how houses aren't built to that standard in version 6? Because there isn't anyone to sell homeowners the newest B.S. product for leeds. Now it's carbon neutral or some other term. The trades on a job can do a better job than the salespeople selling $400 a gallon beeswax sealer. Yes I can do venician plaster. I had a true level 5 plaster job that I did in my own house. 10 years later I'm not going to do that again after a water loss because I can do way better now. I'm debating whether to lime tuck point a building I own, but contrary to what many people think it's a wood built house with wood siding. 30 to 50 years after it was built they made a bit of money and put on brick siding. Kind of like remodeling a 70s house and upgrading to stucco. Things aren't as clear cut as people like you say and after 25 years in the business I've seen people like you do more damage anything else in residential building. Brent works on top tier but he's given architects and tradespeople a way to educate homeowners without the special interest of the decade overpriced underperformed products down our throats. "Salespeople got to them?" Is a term that communicates a whole conversation between workers on a job. In the off chance the homeowners overhear that they won't even understand what's being said. Good trades would never let that happen though 😊😊😊😊. We always know when the architect, designer and homeowners are on site.

[@xenprovence6126]

When I see yet another crappy american home I say t myself, an architect designed that. 90% of architects should not be allowed to design homes, they should only be allowed to draft..

[@BrentHull]

Sad...i know.

[@aaroncrandal]

The Taj Mahal casino is not inspiring

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Thx.

[@silverbackag9790]

Quit repeating yourself. Bouncing.

[@BrentHull]

ok

[@AK-ic1yj]

I am fascinated with the "stripped classicism" of this time period too. It shares a lot with Art Deco and you can see how it was a precursor to other even more stripped styles like Brutalism. What are your thoughts on this?

[@BrentHull]

I think Brutalism is its own deal. I think stripped classicism and art deco are very familiar.

[@speciesofspaces]

@@BrentHull it's all on a continuum after all and sure there are some pretty terrible examples of postmodernism but the more modern and classical styles also have their share of anachronisms. New Urbanism is probably closest to what your channel is doing etc. James Howard Kunstler has a funny talk on the subject on TED.

[@tonymalerba1067]

Loads of brutally shameful buildings in Canada too.

[@BrentHull]

Ok, thanks for sharing.

[@jaredhenderson4909]

This dude is leaving out that 30+% of these buildings is waste... Get the waste percentage down to 5% or less and I'll start listening...

[@BrentHull]

ok.