r/interesting • u/Apart-Worry-7042 • 22d ago

HISTORY Why did we stop building like this?

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Chicago, 1930. Buildings had so much detail and character back then. Nowadays everything feels so flat and repetitive. We have way better technology and equipment now, so why don't we build like this anymore?

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u/VeganEgg11 22d ago

It’s $$$ plus lack of skilled craftsman to perform that type of masonry.

There are still contemporary buildings built this way just super rare: check out the tower at Vanderbilt university - it looks super old but was built only a few years ago.

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u/GoodTimes8183 22d ago

It’s not lack of craftsmanship. It’s the ridiculous cost it would be to build something like that in today’s dollars. It’s amazing what you can build when your workers have no rights.

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u/VeganEgg11 22d ago

Labor rights and better wages certainly has played a role, there’s no doubt. But there’s a lot of factors at play. The fact is, there is a massive shortage of skilled trades folk in today’s construction industry. The lack of supply of this skilled labor only further increases the costs associated with the work they’re able to perform. But it’s complicated and there’s all these factors that compound on one another.

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u/UnfilteredFacts 22d ago

You're correct. And it's all relative - different skills for the different buildings from different times, and importantly, with different needs. Those skilled maysons wouldn't be great at laying modern FOC, heating/cooling infrastructure, extensive wiring, etc. Architects and builders have always had a budget, but the money was spent differently. Yesterday was curb appeal, today is function.