Get the latest tech news

The Global Danger of Boring Buildings


Unloved buildings turn to ruin, leading to a deluge of construction waste worldwide. Designer Thomas Heatherwick tells WIRED why cities need to prioritize human health and joy in architecture.

If planners keep sanctioning buildings that nobody loves, then we run the risk of creating a glut of structures that in the not-too-distant future will be wastefully torn down, as there will be no one to advocate for them. Ahead of speaking at WIRED Health, Heatherwick sat down to explain his campaign to humanize architecture, how widespread changes to design principles might come about, and what the real benefits of good buildings are. There’s a lot of carbon involved in designing and making these buildings—all the materials, transporting them, and putting them together, let alone then demolishing an existing structure.

Get the Android app

Or read this on Wired

Read more on:

Photo of global danger

global danger

Photo of boring buildings

boring buildings