Browsing through Building Design online, it seems that many of the larger new housing projects in the UK follow a predictable pattern: greige brick boxes stepping from low- to mid- to high-rise, supposedly responding to the context. Often built near rail tracks, these buildings attempt to break the monotony with the occasional balcony. Why does everything look the same? The US faces a similar issue, but, as with many things there, it feels worse.

Designing good large-scale multi-family housing is hard. All housing is relatively expensive to build, and most of the construction budget goes on the interiors – bathrooms, kitchens, appliances, finishes, and lighting – leaving little for exterior design. Developers, eager to maximise the building envelope, often leave architects to create “architecture” in the last few remaining inches of façade.

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