Disadvantages of Modern Design

Hello! Now, I'll move on to the disadvantages of modern design. One of the disadvantages of modern design is that the expenses of building a modern design house is high. Nowadays, with the constant improvement of technology, a new material is invented almost every day. Thus, more materials are introduced and the cost for these materials are actually quite expensive. Materials such as metal, stainless steel, glass, marble, granite are some of the materials that are quite costly. 

Home Depot (2016). Concrete Block. Concrete block that are usually used in construction of house.
(Source: http://www.homedepot.com/p/8-in-x-8-in-x-16-in-Concrete-Block-597767/202532685)

AliExpress (n.d.). Marble Top Glass Coffee Table. Marble used for coffee table, that comes in different shapes and sizes.
(Source: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Living-room-tea-table-Marble-top-glass-coffee-table/538226802.html)

Jiu Hua Group Ltd. (2013). Stainless Steel Gate. Stainless steel used widely, such as gate and kitchen sink etc.
(Source: http://en.jiuhuagroup.cc/jiuhua/NGR/Product/ProductShow.asp?ID=99)

Furthermore, modern design houses usually have less thermal comfort than vernacular architecture houses. This is because modern design houses usually use brick and concrete to build up the wall, floor slab and ceiling, which absorbs more heat than timber. Materials like concrete absorbs heat when temperature is high and release heat when the temperature is low. "All materials have the ability to store heat, though some are able to hold more heat per unit of mass" (Snell, 2004). This is called thermal mass. In short, the higher the thermal mass of an object, the more heat it absorbs but takes longer for it to release the heat absorbed. Since concrete have high thermal mass, they absorb more heat and release heat longer than timber. Thus, occupants living in a modern design house made from concrete or bricks will feel less thermal comfort.

Fresh Palace: Interior Design and Architecture (2016). Modern Home in Kuala Lumpur. The painted wall made from concrete which is the usual materials used for modern houses.
(Source: http://www.freshpalace.com/2012/11/26/modern-home-in-kuala-lumpur)

People living in modern design houses may have a shorter lifespan depending on the materials used. Modern design houses have risk of chemical exposure. With the growth of technology, chemical products are invented to solve the weaknesses of natural products. Thus, people will be exposed to risk of toxic release by the chemicals. For example, paint is used to coat a certain material to make it long-lasting. All these artificial materials contains chemical which indirectly shorten the lifespan of the occupants after a long period of exposure to the chemicals. Since vernacular houses are made from natural materials, generally it is a healthier house compared to modern houses. However, materials like wallpaper do not contain chemical that will be harmful to humans and the environment.

Just like every other things, modern design also have its disadvantages, which means there's always room for improvement.

Sound and Light Social Ventures (2015). Nippon Paint. Chemical such as paint is used in modern houses to last longer.
(Source: http://www.soundnlight.in/nippon-paint-practices-corporate-social-responsibility-in-nw-china/)

For my next blog posts, I will compare vernacular architecture houses and modern design houses. So please stay tuned. Hope you guys enjoy reading my blog. 

References:

Snell, C. (2004) "Chapter 4: Temperature". The Good House Book: A Common-Sense Guide to Alternative Homebuilding. New York: Lark Books.

Image Sources:

AliExpress (n.d.) "Marble Top Glass Coffee Table". [Image] Available at:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Living-room-tea-table-Marble-top-glass-coffee-table/538226802.html [Accessed 11 June, 2016]

Fresh Palace: Interior Design and Architecture (2016) "Modern Home in Kuala Lumpur". [Image] Available at:

http://www.freshpalace.com/2012/11/26/modern-home-in-kuala-lumpur [Accessed 11 June, 2016]

Home Depot (2016) "Concrete Block". [Image] Available at: 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/8-in-x-8-in-x-16-in-Concrete-Block-597767/202532685 [Accessed 11 June, 2016]

Jiu Hua Group Ltd. (2013) "Stainless Steel Gate". [Image] Available at:

http://en.jiuhuagroup.cc/jiuhua/NGR/Product/ProductShow.asp?ID=99 [Accessed 11 June, 2016]

Sound and Light Social Ventures (2015) "Nippon Paint Practices Corporate Social Responsibility in NW China". [Image] Available at:

http://www.soundnlight.in/nippon-paint-practices-corporate-social-responsibility-in-nw-china/ [Accessed 11 June, 2016]