4 ms·
Thank you for the kind comment. It's interesting that you say that the build quality is very high on some of these homes. I was debating the issue with someone
by bjterry 10y ago
Thank you for the kind comment. It's interesting that you say that the build quality is very high on some of these homes. I was debating the issue with someone before writing this comment and that was a question I had. I was thinking about how craftsmanship and art exist on somewhat different dimensions for creative endeavors. For example, someone who is poor at the craft of music won't be able to create a song that's listenable, but someone who is excellent at the craft but poor at the art will create something that is technically excellently but unmoving emotionally. Or in web design, this would be a site which very carefully recreates any of a million expensive corporate landing pages but doesn't have any character of its own. There are also examples the other way, of imperfectly executed creative works that nonetheless are effective on an emotional level[1].
I don't know enough about architecture to say, but it seems possible that the people who build these homes may be lacking in this second, artistic aspect.
1: I recently watched Hachi: A Dog's Tale. It is notable in that the craftsmanship of the film is merely adequate, by traditional film metrics, but it's so incredibly emotional that it has won a place on the IMDB Top 250 films. I would also point to Stephen King, who is one of the most impactful people alive when it comes to TV and film, not to mention his prolific writings, but his stories don't show the craftsmanship of one of the literary greats.
- guardiangod 10y agoFrom what I've seen in Vancouver, quality and design are separate. You can hire a first-class designer, then hire a third-rate builder to construct the building, and vice versa. These events happen every day. It all depends on how much the developer wants to spend. As an aside (Flame suit on: I am Chinese), most extreme high-end houses ($3 mill and up) here are bought by wealthy Chinese immigrants/investors. This leads to 2 situations- If the house is built by a developer, then the quality tends to be low. Even the worst Vancouver builder's craftsmanship is better than what you would normally get in China. This means that the developers have no incentive to pay extra as the buyer would be impressed regardless. So McMansion with low quality. If the house is built by wealthy immigrants, however, then the quality tend to be very high. When money is no objection, it's amazing how much quality you can get... So McMansion with high quality. More aside: This particular style of house is all the rage in Vancouver suburbia in the last 5 years. http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/drastic-pruning-of-200-year-old-richmond-tree-triggers-rcmp-probe-1.3014683 http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/drastic-pruning-of-200-year-old... Imagine seeing 20 of these new houses in 1 suburbia street :( It's quite dispiriting.