What are the most common design failures in architectural case studies?

When discussing this topic, many "spectacular" architectural failures are often rooted in seemingly basic, yet overlooked, mistakes. If building a house is like cooking, these mistakes are akin to mistaking salt for sugar, or forgetting to turn on the stove.

I've summarized a few of the most common ones:

1. Out of touch with reality, forgetting "Mother Nature" and "the ground beneath us"

• What does this mean? It means designers focus solely on aesthetics, forgetting that a building stands on a specific piece of land and must endure the elements.
• For example:
  • In a perpetually windy area, constructing a tall, slender building entirely clad in massive glass curtain walls can lead to dangerous swaying and even glass panels being blown off in strong winds. The infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse due to wind is an extreme example.
  • In the humid and rainy South, designing a flat-roofed house without proper drainage is essentially creating an artificial swimming pool. Before long, the interior will suffer from mold and leaks.
  • Building an all-glass house in the desert might seem cool, but in summer, it turns into an oven. Even with the air conditioning on full blast, it becomes uninhabitable.

2. Forgetting that buildings are "for people to use"

• What does this mean? Architects sometimes get caught up in "artistic creation," pursuing visual impact while neglecting the fundamental user experience. Ultimately, buildings serve people; if they're not functional, no matter how beautiful, they are failures.
• For example:
  • In an art museum, a designer might create a labyrinthine layout for "spatial effect," with artistic (and tiny, unreadable) signposts. As a result, visitors wander for ages trying to find the exit, losing their enjoyment of the exhibition.
  • There's a building in London nicknamed "The Walkie-Talkie." Its unique curved glass facade, at certain angles and times, acts like a concave mirror, focusing sunlight onto the street opposite. The heat generated was so intense it could scorch carpets and even fry eggs. This is a classic case of prioritizing aesthetics over basic physics.
  • Office buildings with tiny or non-opening windows, relying entirely on central air conditioning, might look uniform from the outside, but occupants often feel stifled and the air quality suffers.

3. Structural design based on "wishful thinking," grappling with the laws of physics

• What does this mean? This is the most fatal mistake, directly impacting safety. It involves incorrect structural calculations, using the wrong materials, or unreliable connection methods.
• For example:
  • It's like building with blocks: if the base is flimsy but the top is heavy, it will surely collapse. If a designer, in pursuit of "lightness," makes columns too slender or floor slabs too thin without precise calculations, they are gambling with human lives.
  • Incorrect material selection. For instance, using flammable materials in areas requiring fire resistance, or ordinary steel in corrosive coastal environments. While problems might not be apparent in the short term, over time, these become significant safety hazards.

4. Taking "water" lightly

• What does this mean? Almost all building problems, when traced back to their roots, are related to "water." Waterproofing and drainage design are the conscience of a building, yet they are often overlooked.
• For example:
  • Poor basement waterproofing turns it into a "water curtain cave" during the rainy season, leading to moldy walls and damaged belongings.
  • Poorly sealed joints between windows and walls allow rainwater to seep through, making a mess of the interior walls.
  • Inadequate waterproofing in bathrooms leads to the downstairs neighbor's ceiling "raining."

In summary, the most common design failures are often not due to a lack of creativity from designers, but rather because they "think too much and observe too little." They conceive too many cool shapes and concepts, but observe too little—failing to consider the ground beneath, the surrounding environment, or the real needs of the future occupants. Good design finds that perfect balance between art, science, and humanity.