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Pictures of old buildings = pictures of old rich people's buildings

OfSanguineFire 3y ago
Not necessarily. Impressive stone buildings in the Western Balkans were often built by people who were quite poor, except for what livestock they held. It helped that society was clan-based, so resources were pooled, and when these families had to build a house in a region of vendetta and invasion, for protection they chose stone that has held up well over time. An interesting parallel might be those old Amish houses in the US built well through communal effort, even though the families might have been cash-poor.
autoexec 3y ago
There's certainly some truth to that, but even the comparatively wealthy people of today live in homes made using terrible materials and zero craftsmanship/artistry. They're still charging us as much as they can get away with, to the point where housing is increasingly considered unaffordable, but the quality of the work and the materials are total trash.
- lotsofpulp 3y ago
  By what measurement do you determine the materials of today’s homes of the wealthy are terrible? The far better insulation/windows. Easy to manipulate and fix drywall which also happens to be cheap. Paint that comes in a billion colors. Cement fiber siding that has very high resilience relative to cost. Electrical systems that are very unlikely to cause fires and can run multiple 30amp lines around the home? Multiple zone HVAC. PEX plumbing that is lead free and much cheaper/easier to fix. Quartz countertops, synthetic floor to ceiling “marble” bath surrounds. Durable and easy to fix LVT flooring that comes in a billion styles. High quality carpets with padding. Heated floors. Lights that come in many colors, styles, and most of all, use a fraction of the energy. Yes, there is less “art” or whatever it is that costs a lot of human time. But the utility per dollar has never been higher, and I’ll take a modern home over an old home anyday.

Not necessarily. Impressive stone buildings in the Western Balkans were often built by people who were quite poor, except for what livestock they held. It helped that society was clan-based, so resources were pooled, and when these families had to build a house in a region of vendetta and invasion, for protection they chose stone that has held up well over time. An interesting parallel might be those old Amish houses in the US built well through communal effort, even though the families might have been cash-poor.

autoexec 3y ago

There's certainly some truth to that, but even the comparatively wealthy people of today live in homes made using terrible materials and zero craftsmanship/artistry. They're still charging us as much as they can get away with, to the point where housing is increasingly considered unaffordable, but the quality of the work and the materials are total trash.

lotsofpulp 3y ago
By what measurement do you determine the materials of today’s homes of the wealthy are terrible? The far better insulation/windows. Easy to manipulate and fix drywall which also happens to be cheap. Paint that comes in a billion colors. Cement fiber siding that has very high resilience relative to cost. Electrical systems that are very unlikely to cause fires and can run multiple 30amp lines around the home? Multiple zone HVAC. PEX plumbing that is lead free and much cheaper/easier to fix. Quartz countertops, synthetic floor to ceiling “marble” bath surrounds. Durable and easy to fix LVT flooring that comes in a billion styles. High quality carpets with padding. Heated floors. Lights that come in many colors, styles, and most of all, use a fraction of the energy. Yes, there is less “art” or whatever it is that costs a lot of human time. But the utility per dollar has never been higher, and I’ll take a modern home over an old home anyday.