As architects, we are conditioned to chase the extraordinary. From the moment we enter the studio, the culture of our profession pushes us to reinvent the vocabulary of the built environment with every single commission. We are taught to view the unique, sculptural, and eye-catching as the ultimate measure of success. But as I look at the cities we inhabit and the ones we travel across oceans to experience, I am increasingly convinced that this obsession with constant novelty is failing our communities.
It is time for architects to have an honest conversation about the value of the ordinary. We need to stop trying to make every building a statement and rediscover the profound power of the mundane.
Examples from European Cities
Consider the places we universally recognize as the world’s most beautiful and beloved cities—whether it is the historic quarters of Paris, Vienna, Rome, or Amsterdam. What do you actually find when you walk down their most celebrated streets?
If you look closely, almost every building is, by modern architectural standards, quite ordinary. They share uniform heights, restrained palettes, repetitive window proportions, and simple, well-proportioned massings. They do not shout for your attention.
Yet, the collective result is breathtaking. Why? Because the standard architectural vocabulary is maintained as a cohesive background. Only periodically is this rhythm deliberately broken—typically by a church, a grand civic hall, an important public institution, or a major public park. These rare interventions carry immense power precisely because they stand out against a quiet, harmonious backdrop. When every building tries to be a statement, nothing stands out. When every structure attempts to be a standalone sculpture, the city loses its coherence, and the public realm dissolves into visual noise.
Beyond urban aesthetics, our fixation on unique architecture has practical, tangible consequences for construction and craft. Too often, the desire to create bespoke, one-off designs forces architects into uncharted technical territory. We end up detailing complex geometries, forcing multiple disparate materials to intersect in complicated, unproven arrangements. The results are buildings that are notoriously difficult to build, prone to leaks, and reliant on heavily customized, expensive construction methods that few contractors can execute reliably.
By contrast, embracing the mundane leads to better-understood building practices and consistent, higher-quality construction methods. When we master standard details, refine ordinary wall assemblies, and work within established traditions, buildings become more repeatable, durable, easier to maintain, and more affordable to construct. Good construction is rooted in repetition and refinement, not perpetual reinvention.
Designing for the Public, Not Portfolios
Architecture should ultimately serve the human experience at the street level. People do not fall in love with cities because an office building down the street has an impossible cantilever or a convoluted facade panel system. They fall in love with places where they feel comfortable, where streets have a human scale, and where the environment provides a steady, coherent backdrop for daily life.
There is nothing wrong with designing ordinary, good-looking, mundane buildings. In fact, it is one of the most generous things an architect can do for a city, for their community, and for their reputation.
It is time for architects to let go of their ego. Let us be okay with challenging our clients to embrace the mundane. Let us focus our energy on creating harmonious, durable spaces that allow our public spaces—and the people who use them—to be spectacular.