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“Another Satisfied Client”: 30 Funny Times People Didn’t Even Try To Do Their Job Right
Architecture and its design have evolved significantly over the years, effortlessly blending speed, functionality, cost-efficiency, safety, and aesthetics. Probably the most impressive of all is the rate at which we can build constructions. On average, it takes between 7 and 12 months to build a single-family home and 28 to complete a skyscraper. This seems like the speed of lightning compared to the past, when buildings would take from several years to centuries to make.
But faster doesn’t always mean better. Rushed construction can result in poor quality, precision, and craftsmanship, leading to long-term problems like leaks, structural oddities, and stairs that lead nowhere. These and so many more examples of architectural fails await you in the list below, courtesy of the Facebook pages Dream Rock Studio and Replumb. Scroll away to find some of the most offensive design misunderstandings there are, and don’t forget to share your thoughts—we'd love to know what you think.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Connie Hirsch 1 year ago
This should be way higher. Many of the others are kludges that solve a weird problem, but this is just total incompetence.
《¤Pookie¤》 1 year ago
Not to be rude, but it can't get much higher, as it's already at 1.
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Fire Singer 1 year ago
I had a door installed by Lowe's. This one pictured is still done better.
Puppy Dancing! 1 year ago
Why did they spray foam between bricks but couldn't be bothered to use mortar, were they just using what they had on hand? They didn't even try to lay as a course or arch.
M B 1 year ago
Looks like something I'd do 😅, and I have 2 degrees. On the other hand...don't think most masons would be able to build a saas platform on a HA cluster. Guess there are a lot of stupid people in the world
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Riley Quinn 1 year ago
Expanding foam used on exterior surfaces will degrade due to moisture and UV rays. Not a good idea.
RELATED:
#2
Panda'sMom 1 year ago
I "love" it when they do stupid s**t like this. Also "handicap ramps" that are WAY too steep!
Sven Horlemann 1 year ago
Interesting approach. Let's put the architect in a wheelchair, and go down the stairs.
Antal Bokor 1 year ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringPorn/comments/pjrpl0/theres_ada_stairs_that_turn_into_a_lift_at_the/
MalibuClassicMan 1 year ago
Built for those in wheel chairs who are able to carry their chairs down the stairs before continuing their journey.
35 cabbages in a trenchcoat 1 year ago
That's totally not true lol. Do you have any supporting evidence?
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Floeckchen 1 year ago
Thats the part of the stairs where you draw the wheelchairs up to not damage the edges
#3
Floeckchen 1 year ago
I can believe thats maybe in a ward or sth. For the nurses to look whether a special needs patient has troubles with getting on the toilet.
Panda'sMom 1 year ago
These are SUPPOSED to frost over (like windowbfilm) when the door is locked. But, this happens too often.
What allows modern-day constructions to be built in almost a blink of an eye is prefabrication. In this construction approach, the building starts not at the construction site but at the manufacturing factory, where various parts of the building are assembled.
This technique saves time and costs by producing and connecting components in a more suitable location that cuts out most of the transportation time and costs.
#4
Vic 1 year ago
Do the dishes like you are Patrick Swayze and the faucet is Demi Moore..
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Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 1 year ago
I'm thinking the plumber just placed the sink there, took a photo, then installed it correctly..... at least I hope that's the case.
William Petley 1 year ago
If water were running I might believe it. but probably not. simply a staged photography
Schmebulock 1 year ago (edited)
This is a joke and not real. They simply set the sink insert down backwards and took a pic.
Colleen Glim 1 year ago
No issue with the window. We need to talk about the placement of the faucet. How high were you when you decided this was a good idea?
weatherwitch 10 months ago
Maybe the person has limited reach? The tap had to be moved at mine for me to reach due to tight CTD. Or just incredible incompetence?
Tanya Robinson 1 year ago
The sink on the "right" side is lacking a center drain and I see no caulk. I would guess that this picture was taken mid-installation.
#5
Pernille 1 year ago
I love old houses that has weird things like this. They needed a bathroom and the landing of the old servants stairs were the best place to put it. Probably a house that was converted to a restaurant, they seem to have the oddest changes.
BrunoVI 1 year ago
It's so refreshing to read someone with a positive take on it, instead of calling it "stupid."
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Upstaged75 1 year ago
A childhood friend of mine had a playroom that could only be accessed by using the bathroom toilet as stairs. There was a panel in the wall behind the toilet that opened in to the room. We all thought it was the coolest thing ever. :)
Panda'sMom 1 year ago
A remodel. Notice the blockage at the top of the stairs and the door on the right. The stair door should be removed and sheet rocked. But, maybe the remodeler, either like the look or (most likely) too lazy to do the job correctly.
dee renwick 1 year ago
We lived in a house with 6 steps down inside the loo door; landlord told us a previous tenant had broken an ankle trying to go for a pee
#6
WindySwede 1 year ago
and the accompanying(?) hand sanitiser that dried up and now squirts all over the place!
Load More Replies... Devon Archer 1 year ago
as a graphic designer, I just can't finish this list. It's too much. MUST LINE UP THE THINGS IN STRAIGHT LINE AHHH!
Often, job sites are located in cramped and dense cities or distant rural areas, making it more challenging to deliver materials and heavy-duty machinery. This can often be problematic, lengthening construction timeliness and automatically raising costs.
Not only does prefabrication eliminate these issues, but it also abolishes any weather constraints or schedule delays and allows companies to take on multiple projects without limiting their focus, time, and resources on a single construction.
Prefabricated buildings, or in short, prefab, can save up to 50% of the time compared to traditional construction. This is great news for investors, as they get to reap their profits much faster.
#7
Floeckchen 1 year ago (edited)
Impromptu reconstruction after a war maybe, to make the house at least liveable again.
#8
Multa Nocte 1 year ago
I have never seen this in real life, but I have dreamed abut it on occasion.
Sarah 1 year ago
I occasionally have dreams that I really have to use the restroom, but all the toilets are really nasty. Outrageously nasty.
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StretcherBearer 1 year ago
I guess you can avoid prolonged eye contact whilst pooing at least.
The appeal is definitely there, making this construction technique receive more and more attention. Experts predict that it will reach a 6.1% increase by 2028. Prefabrication is already a big trend in the building industry, with 84% of detached homes in Sweden being supplemented with prefab elements. Third-world countries are also shifting their focus to this technique to meet their money and housing shortages.
#10
Tobias Reaper 1 year ago
looks like a weird video game puzzle if you pee and poop in the correct order the wall opens up.
#11
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 1 year ago
No issue anyway, given that the tap head itself can move side to side.
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michael Chock 1 year ago
The faucet just got twisted around. Just twist it back. Go underneath and tighten everything if you don't want it to keep happening.
#12
Floeckchen 1 year ago (edited)
There has been something before according to the screw holes. Maybe a water heater. There are usually also no heating pipes running through a shower. I assume someone just put a hose into the water connector for the heater to take a funny pic.
To get a better idea of just how speedy construction can get, we’re looking at some of the fastest buildings ever built. The Guinness World Record for the swiftest home ever built belongs to a house completed in 3 hours, 26 minutes, and 34 seconds in Shelby County, Alabama. It covered 1,200 square feet and had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, all equipped with electricity and plumbing. It was a result of a charity project in 2002 and beat New Zealand’s record of 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 59 seconds.
#13
Lennart 1 year ago
Because adding a door later on is cheaper than adding a balcony (statics, scaffolding). Same reason its off center to the window, so you can add a door later on.
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Tucker Cahooter 1 year ago
I like how the bottom windows have security grilles on them, in case Spiderman is able to leap up into the balconies
#14
Bob Brooce 1 year ago
We *really* need a picture from a different angle so we'll know why the top of that door is so close to the ceiling that's about 16" above the other door.
Robert Grady 1 year ago
Why install a faux recessed LED when you can hack up a perfectly good door?
#15
Colleen Glim 1 year ago
If you gotta ask, you probably don’t want to know
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In second place are one-day Heijmans houses that can be assembled in, you guessed it, 24 hours. It was the concept of a Dutch construction company that tried to address the housing shortage and offer rental lodging for young professionals. The home fits a living room, dining room, a bathroom, a bedroom, and a kitchen. It has panels for energy and electricity and can be easily transported and installed anywhere with little environmental impact.
#16
AtMostAFabulist 1 year ago
House converted into a duplex. I lived in one once and had stairs to nowhere in a closet.
Tempest 1 year ago
The house I’m in now has a door that opens up to a wall. It’s an old bedroom which the landlord decided to separate with a wall into a small in-laws suite with a separate access from the outside. Don’t know why they didn’t just remove the useless door.
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Apachebathmat 1 year ago
In London they would charge you extra for this and call it a ‘potential’ extra bedroom
John Dilligaf 1 year ago
I can see bookshelves installed on the right side running the length of the stairs, and another one at the top
Grazina Strolia 1 year ago
Me too! I'm thinking, oh, the STORAGE <3 <3 <3!
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Riley Quinn 1 year ago
Reminds me of a flat I rented in a triple decker that had been, ahem, modified. The closets were so shallow that the clothes hangers had to slant to fit. Stairways to nowhere, which is perfect if there's a fire at night when folks are half asleep. And the mystery electrical wiring always raised the question of what does this switch activate. Fortunately, that death trap was temporary.
#17
Brittania Kelli 1 year ago
If by "wheelchair access" you mean the thing that our them in a wheelchair.
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David Morgan 1 year ago
That's what it looks like to me, but it's an oddly built one.
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Panda'sMom 1 year ago
Maybe this used to be a pool? Nevertheless, that would be a serious drop in the pool.
#18
EJN 1 year ago
Gross stupidity. That said, I know why it is that way because I was looking at the same problem. The original did not include an oven, however, there was a cut-out for the stove top. When they added the oven, instead of replacing the lower cabinets to allow a fit, they took out one set and the result is what you see above. In my own case, I insisted that the cabinet below the stove top be sized and replaced to center the oven below the stove top.
The third building took 48 hours and was constructed in India using prefabricated parts that were assembled on-site. Called Instacon Tower, it’s a 10-story commercial building, accommodating up to 600 people. In 2012, it became the fastest-built construction in India.
#19
Xenia Harley 1 year ago
My friend had an elevated toilet in her basement (not this high, just a few steps) due to the septic. Otherwise it would have backed up into the toilet.
Karen Reeves 1 year ago
The lack of ceiling height may be a problem then......
Load More Replies... Rodney McKay 1 year ago
The reason for this is obvious and not stupid—the waste line is above the basement floor level, which is not always possible to avoid. The other alternative is toilets with built-in macerators and pumps, which aren't particularly cheap and require messy maintenance.
#20
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
Goggled the brand name on the bottle. Volvic is a mineral water brand from France.
Sven Horlemann 1 year ago
Sorry. But the green etiquette from Volvic and the blue cupboard do not go together. Better get a new cupboard.
#21
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 1 year ago
No, but it is ugly and the wood will get dirty and eventually rot.
Load More Replies... Brenda Spagnola-Wilson 1 year ago
Wouldn't it have been easier to block the hole and just pull it out as needed?
In the same year, a 30-story hotel sprouted in China in just 360 hours (15 days). It was developed by Broad Sustainable Building (BSB), which again used prefabricated pieces to build the construction. The combined floor surface comes to 183,000 square feet and can even withstand a magnitude nine earthquake.
#22
PeepPeep the duck 1 year ago
That would be fun for a toddler or kids though 😂 37 yr old me is already excited by it for no reason
Amanda Fondaumiere 1 year ago
I would love it until i got up during the night and faceplanted right into the floor because of it.
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Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 1 year ago (edited)
So is the floor rising or is the banister sinking? This looks like an acid trip. Not that I would know anything about that.
SnootWaggling Fox 1 year ago
Looks like the floor is rising and will eventually consume the house
Panda-sized Potato 1 year ago
I've seen something like this at an Airbnb. A house was divided 3 ways to accommodate multiple guests at the same time.
LGBTQpanda 1 year ago
Another portal! Jump down those two stairs and shout magic words til it works!
#23
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago (edited)
Would not surprise me if this was some corporate scheme to ensure employees aren't wasting time using their mobiles on the bog.
Screeching Owl 1 year ago
This is only okay if the glass fogs up like those pop up outside bathrooms in japan
Ozymandias73 1 year ago
Maybe the glass darkens when the doors close? But who thought "hey. wouldn't it be cool if..."
Alex 1 year ago
Something inside me hopes that it's those fancy glass things that go opaque when you close the door.
#24
Bob Brooce 1 year ago
It still has tape and plastic on it, so'I;d say that's one of the safest bets you'll ever make.
Load More Replies...The last fastest construction was also built in China but this time in 19 days. It was a 57-story skyscraper called Mini Sky City assembled by the same previously mentioned BSB company. The total height came to 656 feet and it fits 800 apartments and office spaces for 4,000 people. Completed in 2015, it broke the record for the fastest-constructed skyscraper ever.
#25
DudeFortitude (He/Him) 1 year ago
"If it fits, I sh!ts." There, I fixed it for you /jk
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Jonathan English 11 months ago
You know that you can buy toilets that are shaped to fit into corners, Google it
#26
Puppy Dancing! 1 year ago
I hope this is cut out both sides, otherwise may need a new countertop
#27
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
All it needs is a sign that says Fire Exit and it would be perfect.
#28
Rocket Surgeon 1 year ago
That wasn't their fault, how could they know the light pole would grow that high?
#29
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
Translated it to English if you're curious. "You can do that but then it's just c**p"
Queeqec 1 year ago
'You can do it that way, but it's shiττy. And you are right, its German. Greetings from Austria to you
Load More Replies... Brenda Spagnola-Wilson 1 year ago
Reminds me of when we transferred our security to a new house. He ran the wire thru the dining room wall and plugged it into an outlet. When I protested, he swore that was the only way he could do it. He was sent back to fix it a few days later. A year later we learned we had been paying for security that wasn't connected. (He just left the LIVE wire in the wall.)
#30
Lennart 1 year ago
Not a failure, just out of context. This is a temporary construction wall, you can see it (in Germany) sometimes in underground passages.when they need to remodel a section. There will be a stop on the bottom of the (not running) escalator and stairs (from which the foto is taken). It is to stop the dust from construction coming out and people from entering an unsafe area.
MC C 1 year ago (edited)
you see these in the US too, however they usually enclose the entire escalator so nobody would be able to do what these idiots are doing
Load More Replies... Colleen Glim 1 year ago
They could at least have provided a few step stools to make climbing over easier
Floeckchen 1 year ago
The peeps in the pic allready climbed over it to stage the photo
Load More Replies...In the architecture sector, the balance between speed and quality can often lead to surprisingly amusing outcomes. While modern constructions benefit from techniques like prefabrication that boost efficiency, sometimes the result might not be as polished as intended.
For those amused by the humorous side of work, exploring these hilarious facepalm moments shared on the 'Not My Job' subreddit may offer a unique perspective on the lighter side of rushed projects.
#31
Colleen Glim 1 year ago
Gotta be all IKEA specials. Or you have a real close bond with your neighbour. PIVOT!
Load More Replies... Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 1 year ago (edited)
Let us hope they do not have to evacuate the building at the exact same time.
#32
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago
This perfectly exemplifies why that is the wrong way to hang toilet paper - prove me wrong!
#33
AussieTolkein 1 year ago
What on earth do you mean? I see no problem with this!
Load More Replies... ConfusedCub 1 year ago
This looks like something younger newbe me would have created in Hal-Life using prefabs.
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 1 year ago
Definitely do not try this while drunk. Or in icy weather.
#34
Elladine DesIsles 1 year ago
I once had a "contractor" move my kitchen wall two inches over, because he'd mis-measured the cabinetry. He was actually a handyman's assistant with aspirations, definitely not licensed, and no, I didn't hire, the property manager did. He ended up disappearing 2/3 of the way through the reno, and I lived with with an unfinished kitchen for months before a new management company brought in real contractors. They got more done in two days than the first idiot had managed to f*ck up in two weeks.
Elladine DesIsles 1 year ago
Oh yeah, he also somehow managed to "blow up" my stove. While I had an infant still needing boiled water for formula.
Load More Replies... #35
WindySwede 1 year ago
or unisex, but you are not supposed to the "correct labeled toiled" when in there??
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#36
WindySwede 1 year ago
though not a toilet, but could become one if you don't pay attention.. 🙃
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michael Chock 1 year ago
Something gave out while pouring cement on the second floor. They removed the stairs and now have to remove the cement.
#37
Papa 1 year ago
If they had done that then the pipe would be exposed when they covered the wall framing (though I'm not saying this was okay either).
Load More Replies... Brenda Spagnola-Wilson 1 year ago
Load bearing or not, this won't pass inspection in most places because it compromises the structural integrity of the wood.
Ryan Bates 1 year ago
There's actually nothing wrong with this picture.. It's not a load bearing wall we do this all the time and put a nail on protection plate across the top so you can't screw your drywall into it.
Papa 1 year ago
It's not load bearing, but it's still not a good idea. What's to keep those walls from moving horizontally with the plates 90% cut through?
Load More Replies... SnootWaggling Fox 1 year ago
This happens a lot. Their are metal straps that can compensate for this
#38
#39
#40
Mary Masters 1 year ago
This is people living in squalor in Hong Kong, not some funny design fail. Source your material, people.
_-DungeonKeeper-_ 1 year ago
This room is cholera. It doesn't just have cholera, it IS cholera
#41
DudeFortitude (He/Him) 1 year ago
Ikr, could you imagine someone tripping on that pipe? It would be a catastrophe! /jk
Load More Replies... #42
Rocket Surgeon 1 year ago
The upper apartments are for when you come back after learning double-jump
#43
Foxglove🇮🇪 1 year ago
It was fun watching the different coloured pipes build up 😂😂
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#44
PeepPeep the duck 1 year ago
Think I’m stressed at work right now, this picture gave me anxiety 😂
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
What's the problem? This is VASTLY safer than the normal practice of hanging the condensers in inaccessible locations high on building walls—these things need occasional service. And obviously, those stairs aren't used for any other purpose. Whoever thought this was a fail wasn't thinking clearly.
#45
Puppy Dancing! 1 year ago
I can't do my business inside until the laundry is done, scared it will fall on my head .
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
It kind of looks like it's set up to use washing machine water to run the toilet. Can't really tell though.
#46
#47
#48
Rose the Cook 1 year ago
Real estate advertisements often say " half bath" meaning shower only but this place has a half loo.
#49
SkyBlueandBlack 1 year ago
Winter doors. Mom told me she saw them all the time in upstate NY. For when the snow is that deep.
Load More Replies... Lyone Fein 1 year ago
So many weird things here.......fence/wall on the left, the end of the walkway on the right.....
#50
#51
Daniel Alexander 1 year ago
Imagine you're on the other side of that door, you walk out and just break all of your bones.
#52
WindySwede 1 year ago
or the foam isolation from above, the brick door? 😬
Load More Replies... Puppy Dancing! 1 year ago
You need a solid header to support the wall and roof above, I think this wall will sink or fall in a strip pretty soon.
Blue Bunny of Happiness 1 year ago
Obviously done by the same builder that built my house. Not a right angle or straight wall/ceiling/floor in the place…
#53
SnootWaggling Fox 1 year ago
How is there space in the wall for this? Surely there would be studs there?
ManuelQue 1 year ago
I think it's done with the pipe gizmo that seems to be permanently attached to the toilet bowl. The walls are just drywall - a toilet paper roll is in its future.
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#54
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
If you think you dropped your wedding ring down the sink drain, you'll be able to tell for sure before disassembling the trap to retrieve it.
#56
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
Except that it's a wall-mount faucet in the wrong orientation. And it could be fixed with a little effort.
Load More Replies... #57
Kokomo Rose 1 year ago (edited)
Hey, honey how do we stop the house from blowing up, the red or the blue?
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
The point of PEX water lines is that it allows even unskilled people to install them. And here we see the result. Well, at least they color coded the hot & cold lines instead of just using white tubing like many people do.
#58
#60
#61
#62
#63
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
It's a small expansion tank, and while it looks ridiculous mounted this way it will work fine.
Load More Replies... #64
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
Reminds me of Rogue Brewing. They realized that they were losing a ton of money because their fermenters were single walls with no insulation so they used spray foam. Within a year the whole brewery was dripping with black mold. Their solution was to paint the spray foam to match the disgusting mold. Enjoy your Dead Guy Ale.
#65
#68
Mary Masters 1 year ago
Parts are all we got, we'll make it work. I ain't goin' back to Home Depot.
#69
Sara Frazer 1 year ago
Wh-what? Would it not have been easier to just buy a different shower head?!
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
Clearly this is intended as a support for that heavy showerhead, installed in a location with a very low ceiling. Looks absurd, but it's functional.
#70
Rocket Surgeon 1 year ago
I ain't buying no bee-dit. I gots a pipe and spigot in the shed I can hook up right here...
#71
#72
#73
Annita Stephanou 1 year ago (edited)
The building was built with full access on all floors. Then one floor was decided to be used with limited access. We had a civil service building like this. The top floor was at some point decided to be used as a Minister's office and Ministry management. So they installed such doors on the back staircase and one could only access through key or code, to prevent from intruders breaking in from the building rear side.
Load More Replies... #74
Rocket Surgeon 1 year ago
This smells like a perfectly fine staircase getting hit with a regulation for railing that goes straight down the stairs.
#75
#76
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
How do you even get the cable through both holes from the outside like that?
Paul Aguilera 1 year ago
You make your hostage help from the inside, obviously 😅
Load More Replies... Rodney McKay 1 year ago
My first thought, too. Much harder to break than a deadbolt.
Load More Replies... #77
Kira Okah 1 year ago
A project by Lynn Lim, design thesis exploring the concept of ick and the feeling of grossness.
Nicole Weymann 1 year ago
I'm more interested in how/if they open, considering the way hinges usually work. 🤔
Load More Replies... #78
#80
#81
Kira Okah 1 year ago
100% This is "Pilar", a piece by Ishmael Randall Weeks, 2016. https://www.lawrieshabibi.com/artists/149-ishmael-randall-weeks/works/2606-ishmael-randall-weeks-pilar-2016/
Load More Replies... #82
#83
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What do you think ?
David Paterson 1 year ago
Best collection ever. I'm used to collections of "design fails" where the failure can be justified on some level, lack of space, mid construction, short on time and money, etc. But these look like deliberate hate mail!
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
Mostly retrofits in old buildings, not construction fails. Needs change, and sometime one has to abandon unused stairways or work plumbing around obstacles. Not an issue as long as the result is functional.
David Paterson 1 year ago
Best collection ever. I'm used to collections of "design fails" where the failure can be justified on some level, lack of space, mid construction, short on time and money, etc. But these look like deliberate hate mail!
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
Mostly retrofits in old buildings, not construction fails. Needs change, and sometime one has to abandon unused stairways or work plumbing around obstacles. Not an issue as long as the result is functional.
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