The Architecture Thread

[UnnamedPlayer]

Could always do what the ancient Romans did and execute the architect who designed the faulty insulae or domus.

wouldn't the collapse be the fault of the builder?

 

[archetypal_yuppie]

Particularly lol:

Also consider how wealthy the USA, and yet how bad its Gini coefficient is.

Loathing, you strike as someone who is proud of knowing a few things but who utterly misunderstands them.

 

[archetypal_yuppie]



Dog-eat-dog cultures don't foster corruption. The proximity of a sizable group of intelligent, powerful, and wealthy people to an even more sizable group of dumb, hopelessly powerless, and poor people does. The relationship between countries in Europe and their corruption shows a pretty straightforward relationship between the lack of corruption in Northern/Western Europe and their small, broadly well-educated, and ethnically-homogenous populations while the most corrupt countries in Europe are the southern countries, which are mine fields of unfavorably dissimilar demographic groups, placing the highly educated in patronage of the minions. To be exploited, one must be dumb enough to fail in preventing it.

As a 10 minute stroll through New York could tell you, the magnitide of those conditions in New York could surprise nobody who learned it was the most corrupt city in America, even with Chicago's heroic efforts to supplant them.

Not impressed. You appear to be conflating inequality with corruption.

 

[ethanm]

There is a lot of bad political science in everything both of them said. Not worth pointing out all of it.

 

[archetypal_yuppie]



Just to state the obvious, in case it isn't obvious: corruption is hardly the only obstacle to effecting optimal regulatory policy. Even incorruptible, well-meaning rule makers and rule enforcers are not omniscient.

I am not familiar with how architect licensing really works, but I am not principally against the notion of professional licenses. To the extent they efficiently provide valuable market information, they are a good thing. Hairdressers and janitors perform low risk jobs so the cost of instituting a licensing regime is probably not worth it. People tend to care quite a bit whether their houses collapse on their families, though.

NYC has these lovely high minded people that think every stupid ************* 50+ yrs old is a landmark, completely impeding progress & growth.

Lets save the stacks in the NY Library!!!! They're useless? Who cares!!!

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Some people like old **** that is repurposed.

 

[Hayward]

Yes, but now we're talking zoning and discretionary permits. If you want to see the exemplar of bullshit reactionary zoning, come to San Francisco.

But what's the connection to certifying architects?

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Who cares, can we look at buildings again?

 

[TheFoo]



Yes, but now we're talking zoning and discretionary permits. If you want to see the exemplar of bullshit reactionary zoning, come to San Francisco.

But what's the connection to certifying architects?

The connection is the issue of optimal regulation.

Even when regulations, such as zoning laws, are implemented by well-meaning, uncorrupted people, they can still be extremely wasteful. After all, they determine a priori how a particular resource should be allocated, although the best, most wealth-producing use may not be something conceivable by rule makers.

Professional licenses make it harder (or legally impossible) for unapproved people to do a particular job. Thus, similar to zoning laws, licensing regimes can misallocate resources by filtering out people who would otherwise be great at the regulated profession.

On top of all that, regulations are administratively costly.

That all said, regulations are not bad, per se. All laws are effectively a form of regulation. However, we should be mindful of weighing their costs versus their benefits. More critically, we should realize that human beings are bad fortune tellers and should not pretend they know how to tell the future or decide what is best for others.

 

[Piobaire]

Seriously guys I come here to witness SH's angsty sack clothe and ashes antics not to read second rate political psycho-babble. That's what we have the CE for.

 

[Hayward]

Hey, you guys and the powers that be let the big kids take over the sandbox. Whenever that happens, sooner or later it's going to get dominated by shoptalk.

 

[Piobaire]



Hey, you guys and the powers that be let the big kids take over the sandbox. Whenever that happens, sooner or later it's going to get dominated by shoptalk.

If you think you're one of the "big kids" I'm going to hernia myself laughing.

SH, please present a building I neither really like nor understand. K'thanx.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Here is a palate cleanser;

Nicely restored Mies Van Der Rohe stair railing.

 

[TheFoo]



Seriously guys I come here to witness SH's angsty sack clothe and ashes antics not to read second rate political psycho-babble. That's what we have the CE for.

Second rate? wtf

 

[mbaum]

I enjoyed the discussion, thought the points were very well thought out and on topic (This is an architecture threat after all). But maybe time to discuss a house or something? I quite like that one.