I think back to the first day of class and Prof. Zimmerman asked, "Why are you all taking this class?"
A repetitive answer I remember hearing is "I want to know why some strip malls are ugly-looking?" Or "Why can't every building look nice?" Now, after one semester of studying architecture, I am not an expert, but I can say that this class had made me realize that architecture is not just about the look of buildings. Exterior design is only a fraction of the architect's job. Sure, maybe Wal-Mart looks like hell from the outside, but the inside of the building may be laid out in such a way that no customer is ever confused as to where a product is located, or the freight department can easily unload shipments and store excess products out of the view of customers.
The design of strip malls, Wal-Mart, etc. is incredibly functional. These buildings were never supposed to be "pretty," but rather serve a more Marxian purpose of maximizing economic efficiency.














