While looking for inspiration for a design, we always look for the best floor plans because their tips and tricks help us develop our foolproof design. At times, it is also essential to focus on the ideas which didn’t work out. It is necessary to understand why they didn’t work because the worst plans teach us the best lessons because from those experiences, we can avoid making the same mistakes and prevent failures.
So let us look at some of the worst blueprints in history that will teach us some of the best lessons.
The Lotus Riverside
Who does not like a house with a view? Especially the view of a river flowing in front of their home. Certainly not me!
The Lotus Riverside Apartments were constructed to provide people with a beautiful river-facing view from their balconies. These 13-story buildings with parking spaces were a sight to see. But unfortunately, in 2009, one of the 13-story buildings toppled to the ground, barely missing the adjacent building.
Upon investigating the cause of the fall of the building, it became known that while the construction of the parking lot was in motion, the excess earth dug up was deposited in a nearby landfill. The weight of the additional dirt in the landfill put immense pressure on the border of the river banks, which resulted in them collapsing. The collapse of the river bank allowed water to seep into the earth, weakening the foundation of the building and resulting in its fall.
Hence, it is vital to consider the location and challenges when drafting a house plan. This accident could have been prevented if the sensitivity of the location were considered.
John Hancock Tower
Errors in doors and windows are no big deal, right? But what if I told you that a design error in the window can put the lives of people in danger?
The 100-floor skyscraper constructed in 1968, which was formerly the highest structure in the United States outside of New York City, received praise from the design and architecture groups. That is until a 500-pound window glass detached from the structure and fell onto the sidewalk due to a design flaw in the windows. When winds hit 45 MPH, police were forced to order an evacuation of nearby streets. The structure gained the moniker “Plywood Palace” when plywood panels were used in place of the vacant windows during restoration.
Hence, it is imperative to assess the house plans with a critical lens to not only prevent changing costs but also to prevent any casualties that might occur from the mistake.
Kemper Arena
In 1976, an indoor stadium was constructed in Kansas City, which was named Kemper Arena. The noticeable feature of the stadium was its trussed roof.
The architects designed the roof so that in case of rain or storm, the roof drains all the water collected on the roof. Things didn’t work the way planned by the architects because rather than draining the water, the structure collected the water on the roof. The storm that occurred in Kansas City highlighted the lack of functionality of the roof when the roof couldn’t bear the water load and sagged.
Furthermore, the roof was suspended from hangers, and the number of bolts required to hold the roof was not met. The roof ended up completely tumbling down.
Pier One Playground
You might be thinking, there’s no way the designers could be wrong with making a playground, right?
Shockingly enough, while designing the pier one playground, in New York, the designers wanted an element that would distinguish them from any other constructions. This idea led them to use steel to make all the activities on the playground which included domes and more climbing activities.
Once the project was completed, no children were seen in the playground because all the activities in the playground were simply too hot to touch. As all the construction was made of metal, the temperature of the domes and other objects reached as high as 127 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lesson is that innovation is always welcomed but only if the innovation is practical.
The Walkie Talkie Center
The Walkie-Talkie Center is a structure ahead of its time. The concave design of the building is an art to see, but while designing, the architects didn’t take the combination of area, weather conditions, and material into consideration.
The shape of the building, although beautiful, poses quite a few risks for people. The concave shape of the building acted as a solar collector blasting all the sun rays to the people and objects on the street below. That ended up heating the streets so much that the heat even melted a jaguar!
The issue was addressed and later had to be fixed by fitting sunshades on the mirrors of the concave side of the building. Thus architects need to see the impact of their designs on their surroundings.
The Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is another example of a dollar collector but more harmful than the walkie-talkie center.
The design of the building boasting elegant curves and steel frames was indeed pretty to look at but the architect failed to take in the location, the effect of the design on the surrounding area, and the weather into consideration. The Walt Disney Concert Hall reflected rays that would blind the drivers and raise the temperature of the area by 9 degrees Celsius.
To fix the situation at hand, the metal strips were taken down and all the curves were vibrationally sanded to make them dull and less reflective while still maintaining their aesthetic look.
Takeaways
Designs and structures aren’t just about aesthetics and innovation. Many times architects ignore the basic elements of functionality and structural impacts on surroundings to create visually appealing designs.
The house plans designed must be taking the location into construction to prevent water from seeping and weakening the foundation or harming people on the street due to poor calculation or wrong choice of material. While designing a plan, quality, functionality, and the design all are extremely important parts of the process and one part should not be overshadowed by the other.
Hence, an architect should not solely rely on blueprints and opt for assistive technologies such as 1to1 plans’ walkable 2D LED technology which shows the complete plan on a 1:1 scale. Whether it’s residential, commercial, or an apartment building, analyze your house plans to prevent faulty structures and casualties.
