I think the "a house is a machine for living" and "form follows function" are actually very good ways to explain these complex topics, but they are very open to

I think the "a house is a machine for living" and "form follows function" are actually very good ways to explain these complex topics, but they are very open to a wide array of different interpretations, and it seems to me that the most jarring, abrasive, and otherwise ugly buildings are spawned from face-value interpretations of these mantras. A house is a machine for living, not merely existing. Form follows function, and that function is to get out of the way of the occupants and allow them to be happy and productive in the places they live and work.