Building Design

If you've ever had to renovate a place, you may have realised the inherent flaws and massive massive wastage in building design and renovation.

My 2 big gripes are -

1. Concealed water piping

What happens when concealed water pipes burst or leak? First of all you waste a shit load of time trying to figure out where the leak is. Then, because the pipes are embedded, replacing part of a concealed water pipe isn't really an option. What options is the poor homeowner left with? Running exposed pipes, or else hacking the wall tiles and re-running the concealed piping.

My thoughts - is there a way to use ducts or conduits embedded in the wall, and then to run water pipes in these ducts / conduits?

2. Built in furniture

Built in cupboards, built in wardrobes... the biggest waste because they can't be taken with you when you leave. I saw some beautiful non built-in kitchen cabinets in a food magazine the other day (sadly the brand has slipped my mind and I didn't get a copy of the article) and kind of regretted not using movable furniture for my kitchen.

My thoughts - I think most people will continue to go with built in furniture, since it is pretty common and having something built in probably seems more permanent and consequently "more like home". Only thing I can think of is this - if you are moving into a new place, and there is built in furniture, rather than tearing it all out and replacing it, perhaps you can get away with just replacing the doors and the inside shelves. Alternatively, if you are building a new place, have a think to see whether that piece of furniture absolutely needs to be built it. E.g. a kitchen island could be a free standing type (and maybe bolted to the floor if you feel a need) rather than built it, so you can bring it along with you if / when you move.

Postscript - found the beautiful non built-in kitchen cabinets, unfortunately they are by Bulthaup and probably a tad expensive for most homeowners. Food for thought nonetheless.