Why so many new buildings are covered in rectangles

One other kind of building with obvious cladding we didn't mention in the video: the "gentrification building." Vox policy reporter Jerusalem Demsas explored its rise –– you know it when you see it –– and what it means for neighborhood displacement.   Check out that article here: bit.ly/3aERGRc

Phil at the start of this video is giving off “I don’t need sleep, I need answers” vibes.

Phil's psychiatrist: And these rectangles, are they in the room with us right now?

Im astounded Vox managed to make a video about this cladding without mentioning that its probably the single most hated thing in modern construction. Like theres zero critical thinking in this, why every generic five over one apartment complex is getting build as cheaply as humanly possible while having a somewhat modern aesthetic to charge horrendous rents. Its the most emblematic thing of whats wrong in construction and this video is just like "rectangles huh, thats neat"

In case anyone is wondering, these panels are almost always made of MCM (or Metal Composite Material). I’m not sure why Vox chose not to speak on the material at all as it’s extremely common. It is composed of a layer of insulation sandwiches between two thin sheets of metal (often aluminum, but can be pretty much any metal).

Phil: What hard hitting journalism do you need? Vox: go look for rectangles.

“Why so many new buildings are covered in rectangles” Wait till I tell you about Bricks

This new style of construction looks cheap. It's great that it's environmentally friendly in the short term but the real question is if you have to rebuild it in 50 years because it's falling apart then how environmentally friendly will it be in the long run? The architect mentioned investors being concerned about its reliability and durability in the next 20-30 years but that's relatively a very short period of time given how long older buildings constructed in the old styles have lasted. Look at Roman and Greek ruins that have stood the test of time for thousands of years. We'll be lucky if this new style lasts a generation. I'm skeptical, to say the least!

Ok but my understanding is that “rainscreen” cladding can indeed lead to too many leaks and thus a lot of structural damage from water. This video strikes me as far too positive about cladding, paying too little attention to the problems that people have discovered with the move away from brick to “best practice” petroleum-product structural design.

I love how random this is. Next vox video is probably going to be like why some electric fans have 3 blades while some have 4

I find it both comedic and intriguing that Vox was like: guys aren’t those buildings kinda weird with rectangles on them? Find out why!

It is so infuriating to hear architects claiming they are "complimenting" classical designs by making modern abominations that look nothing like the styles they're supposed to be emulating. "It's natural, it fits into the community." No it doesn't. Modern architects are so out of touch with what people actually want. I laughed when he said "There's a band above the windows" what a pathetically poor connection to make, they don't look remotely similar. No one would even notice it without having it being pointed out.

3:54 That's why homes in the United States, even with many hurricanes and tornadoes, can't withstand them. In Latin America we make brick houses with reinforced concrete structures. They are extremely resistant against 200 km/h winds and generally only lose their roofs, but the concrete slabs remain intact.I really couldn't live in a house where the walls are made of coating.

I didn't hear a lot on WHY these houses are so much more efficient. I lived in a house that's 500 years old, made out of very thick (75cm) granite blocks that could stop a trebuchet shot. It'll probably last into the next millennium. It stays cool all summer long and once it's warm in winter it will stay warm for a long time. My family still lives in that home and they hardly need to maintain it.

that new red building literally does not compliment the historic one

The end of the video is so hollow, he's talking about how designers now have so many more options for the cladding on their buildings, but it's so obvious that they all look largely the same

Can't wait for every building to look exactly the same!

I'm surprised that Vox didn't reference cladding and it's drawbacks - the best example is where building manufacturers look for extreme cost savings, and choose the cladding that costs the least but doesn't meet a decent level of safety; this is what inevitably happened with the Grenfell Tower Fire on 14 June 2017; 72 people perished after their tower block's cladding spread an ongoing unit fire. Cladding in general isn't unsafe, of course, but some panels are, and their use is negligence of safety.

Q: Why so many new buildings are covered in rectangles? A: To keep the rain out of our cheaply-built papier-mâché buildings...

It's funny, I'm a union sheet metal worker that installs these panels for a living amongst other things. They are not cheap to make or install. I've done projects worth millions, but the materials they're made of are meant to last a lifetime with little to no maintenance.