I believe that at least part of the problem is that buildings aren't built to last, they are built to be torn down in a few decades - so the people building the

I believe that at least part of the problem is that buildings aren't built to last, they are built to be torn down in a few decades - so the people building them have no sense of making something lasting, or pride in making something beautiful. Instead they just want the cheapest space they can get, resulting in using the cheapest materials and maximizing internal space - meaning the outside will almost certainly be some kind of cube. So it's a question of both cost and attitude.