Why Is Canadian Architecture So Bad?

An article in The Walrus posed a provocative question about Canadian architecture: why is it so bad? After interviewing government officials and well known architects in Canada, the author writes that a big part of the challenge comes down to pressure on organizations and their leaders to demonstrate that they are spending responsibly ...

"In many instances, 'build cheap' also means 'build ugly' - not because good design necessarily costs more but because we have conned ourselves into believing that it does."

In too many design situations, decision makers are reluctant to chose the best or most creative solution because it may result in the perception that they overspent to get it. So instead we end up with uninspired design and ordinary buildings. It seems that only way to change this reality is if great architectural ideas can be sold alongside a compelling demonstration of how they can be executed in a value-driven way.