Here’s an Idea: Cornerstones!
Scott | January 12, 2012
A fairly common complaint here on DM is the design and construction quality of new homes and downtown buildings. Some of these reflect matters of personal taste; others lament market realities that can’t be legislated.
But maybe there’s something the Zoning Task Force could recommend that would cost the city nothing, yet do wonders towards civic pride and our shared perspective on what buildings mean to a growing community.
I’m talking about mandated cornerstones on all new construction.
Not a new idea by any means but perhaps one that’s fallen out of popular use, the cornerstone has been used historically to document a building’s important details — when it was completed, who designed it, who built it and, for civic buildings, who helped make the project a reality.
The reasons I love them are twofold. First, they make us acknowledge the long-term (or what should be long-term) implications of the things we build. Second, they make those responsible for the buildings accountable for the end product. If you’re fly-by-night, it’s a shaming exercise. If you do great work, it’s a lasting testimonial on your behalf.
Either way, the community benefits. So what do you think? Could we boost the dignity of our built environment with something as simple as a couple lines of legal text?
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Like!
An inventory of existing cornerstones in Decatur would be neat!
I like it. Do you know of other municipalities that do this?
I haven’t researched it but definitely have never come across one. Maybe it could serve as a sort of companion to the Decatur Design Awards to not just encourage excellence in historic preservation but in all form of construction. Or at least give us a target to vent at.
Sold.
We’re putting one on the new house.
Excellent idea!
Love it!
Not sure if it would improve the quality of construction of anything, but I like the idea of cornerstones.
I think I recall they did something like this on the new Fifth Avenue building with a big plaque at the entrance. A cornerstone would have been neat instead but it does contain some of the same items dates, accountability as mentioned.
I like the idea as long as it’s a real stone and not a fake stucco cast stone that deteriorates at the same time as the building. If it’s a Walmart anything they do is great!
Posted somewhere between China and Walmart from our great RoRo fleet.
I come out a bit tea-partyish on this one, in that I don’t think we should be legislating pride. I’d very much like for builders to do this voluntarily, however, and can imagine that they would want to do it if they felt it was something the community values.
Call me cynical, but I don’t see builders doing anything voluntarily if it’s going to cost something unless it can up their profit in the end. Until someone can show that properties with cornerstones sell better than ones without, I don’t see this happening. I’m afraid the very pride in design and workmanship that this is attempting to instill has been lost over time as we moved to mass-produced materials and disposable workers. Sorry to be so negative, I’ll take my rain cloud and go home.
Frame structures too?
Even frame typically has some level of masonry foundation. Unless it’s on a slab, of course, which simply presents a challenge the fine folks on the committee would have to solve.
Love it!
I love this, too!!!!!