Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanRevival
Agree completely. Brick/masonry materials at least give a building a high-quality feel in the absence of "high design." (And I do think the Old City building has a fairly interesting design; color is always subjective).
But a building with uninspired design and highly commercialized/value-engineered materials? Very little opportunity for redemption.
Thankfully Philly has a VERY strong brick/masonry tradition that continues on. We don't need any more 43rd and Baltimores.
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Is it that strong? We adopted the International Building Code, something that intentionally makes it more difficult to construct any load-bearing masonry structures (detached or attached).
Chicago held out adopting the IBC until 2018, and as a result it continued to get fantastic looking buildings even into the 2020s. Buildings like
these and
these. Notice that around the sides of the building, there is no vinyl siding. There is only brick. Unfortunately, the ugliness has started to come back to Chicago now that timber frame is legal again...
In Philadelphia, for at least two decades now the bricks on buildings have been little more than an aesthetic choice of material to cover the matchstick timber construction underneath. Our masonry tradition is dying, and maintaining our rowhomes will only become more and more difficult--unless we drop the IBC, ban timber frame construction, and force a masonry comeback.