There is an abundance of features—or lack thereof—that can make a building or an entire area terrible to live in or even to look at. So, it’s no surprise that pictures of such eye-sore-like buildings often end up on the ‘Urban Hell’ subreddit, which, as of now, has roughly 1.3 million members.
According to its description, it’s a subreddit, dedicated, as mentioned before, to all the hideous places human beings built or inhabit, which encourages people to come there for aesthetic appreciation of the darker side of cities, towns, and villages in our world. “We welcome any photos which show either ugliness, or a problem in urban development. Rural and suburban hell are also allowed,” it reads.
In order not to create something atrocious-looking, uninhabitable, or even dangerous, the people responsible for the edifices have to think long and hard about an abundance of details.
Discussing such details, architect Danish Kurani, pointed out that the purpose and functionality of the building are two of the most important things that have to be well thought-through before the construction starts. “Determine the purpose of the building and who it will serve and focus on solving real problems, prioritizing solutions over style,” he suggested in an interview with Bored Panda.
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“Design the building with the ability to accommodate change,” Kurani continued, emphasizing the importance of adaptability. “Natural elements [are important, too]: understand the impact of natural factors such as light, air quality, and temperature on the building and its occupants.
“Local context: source materials and construction approaches locally to minimize environmental impact and preserve the unique characteristics of the area. Emotional experience: design the building to evoke positive emotions and create a sense of well-being.”
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Another factor that shouldn’t be overlooked, according to the founder of the architecture firm, is the holistic perspective, which entails considering the overall impact of the building on its surroundings and the broader community. It’s also crucial to take into account the context and environment in which the building will be located.
“Understand the needs and challenges,” Danish continued to emphasize. “Have a clear understanding of the needs and challenges of the target users and establish clear objectives for the building based on the needs and aspirations of the users.
“Prioritize functionality and usability," he added, expanding on the list and emphasizing that it’s crucial to design the building to be functional and user-friendly, as well as sustainable and environmentally friendly. “Build in a way that is environmentally friendly and minimizes waste.”
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Long-term maintenance and adaptability are no less important, Danish Kurani suggested. “Design the building with long-term maintenance and adaptability in mind and incorporate feedback loops into the design process.”
According to him, it’s also beneficial to use data and knowledge from past projects and experts in related fields, so the person responsible can incorporate evidence-based design.
In addition to thinking long and hard about the subtleties behind each and every building, as discussed by Danish Kurani, it’s also important for architecture firms to look at the bigger picture and evaluate their goals, too. According to data from 2021, close to 13% out of 89 surveyed firms admitted falling short on many goals. While it’s unclear if that is what leads to certain far-from-applaudable examples of architecture, it is arguably unlikely to make the cities look any better either.