40 Times Architects Failed To Consider Basic Functionality And Got Called Out On This Online Group

There are two kinds of buildings in this world: the ones you can use without thinking… and the ones that make you stop mid-step and whisper,
“Wait. Why is it like that?”

The Bored Panda post “40 Times Architects Failed To Consider Basic Functionality…” pulls together exactly that second categorythose gloriously confusing
structures that look like they were designed during a power outage, reviewed by a goldfish, and approved by someone who has never opened a door in their life.
The images are shared in an online community devoted to gawking at buildings that went sideways (the subreddit Shitty Building Porn).^[1]

Before we start throwing imaginary tomatoes: architecture is hard. Real-world projects juggle budgets, codes, client opinions, contractor realities, and the laws
of physics. Still, when basic functionality gets ignored, the result can be a daily annoyanceor a safety problem. And the internet, as always, is ready with
a highlight reel.

Why These “Architecture Fails” Go So Viral

A bad building photo is the perfect kind of outrage: low-stakes, instantly understandable, and deeply relatable. You don’t need a degree to recognize
a staircase that leads to nowhere, a door that opens into a wall, or a bathroom layout that turns “private” into “performance art.”

These posts also scratch a very specific itch: the frustration of living in spaces that are supposed to serve humans, yet somehow seem actively hostile to them.
It’s the built-environment version of buying headphones that don’t fit your earsexcept the headphones are a building, and you can’t return them to the store.

And there’s a bigger point hiding under the memes: good architecture isn’t just “pretty.” It’s usable. It anticipates real bodies, real movement, real habits,
and real emergencies. That’s why accessibility standards, egress rules, and design quality processes existto keep spaces from becoming daily obstacle courses.^[3][10][12]

The Most Common “Functionality Facepalms” (and What’s Usually Going Wrong)

The Bored Panda post showcases examples that are funny at first glance, but many fall into a handful of repeat-offender categories. Here are the most common
onesand the everyday logic they ignore.

1) Doors That Pick Fights

Doors should be boring. They should open, close, and let you move on with your life. But in “called-out” architecture, doors often become a plot twist:
they swing into stairs, collide with toilets, block narrow hallways, or open directly onto a ramp landing where you need space to maneuver.^[3][4]

What typically caused it? Late plan changes, cramped retrofits, or someone treating door swings as an afterthought. Egress rules can also matter: in certain
conditions, door operation and clearance aren’t optional detailsthey’re life-safety decisions that affect how quickly people can move in an emergency.^[10]

2) Stairs That Feel Like a Practical Joke

Stair issues show up constantly in “bad design” communities because stairs are unforgiving. If one tread is slightly off, your feet notice. If the landing is
too short, your balance notices. If headroom is tight, your forehead notices.

U.S. building guidance emphasizes consistency and safe geometry: uniform risers and treads, appropriate handrails, and clear egress paths are all basics, not
luxuries.^[5][6][11] Yet the viral mistakes tend to be exactly what happens when “close enough” wins a design argument.

3) Bathrooms That Defy Human Bodies

The bathroom is where bad planning goes to be immortalized. You’ll see sinks placed so close to toilets you can wash your hands while seated (multitasking!),
showers that blast straight into the door seam, or towel bars located where your elbow can develop a long-term feud with them.

A lot of this comes down to “clearances”the invisible space people need to move, turn, and use fixtures comfortably. Ignore those, and you get a room that
technically contains a toilet, yet somehow can’t be used like one.

4) Kitchens and Storage That Forget Gravity (and Groceries)

Kitchens are basically workflow factories: store → prep → cook → clean. When they’re functional, you barely think about them. When they aren’t, every meal
feels like a scavenger hunt.

Viral kitchen fails include: microwaves mounted at forehead height, dishwashers blocked by islands, outlets placed behind fixed appliances, and cabinets
designed for a mythical person with 11-foot arms. These aren’t “style” mistakes. They’re usability mistakes.

5) Windows, Light, and the “Great View of a Wall”

A window should bring light, ventilation, or view (ideally all three). But many “called-out” examples feature windows placed for exterior symmetry rather than
interior realityso you get a gorgeous façade and a bedroom with sunlight… aimed directly at the closet.

Sometimes the window is fine and the interior planning isn’t. Sometimes the façade wins. Either way, the occupant is left living inside an Instagram post.

6) Circulation That Creates Daily Chaos

Circulation is a fancy term for “how you move through a space.” It sounds basic because it is. Yet some buildings create choke points, dead ends, awkward
turns, or “hallways” that are more like narrow emotional experiences.

This is where the internet’s favorite photo pops up: a staircase or sidewalk that appears to go somewhere, but ends at a fence, a wall, or a mystery drop-off.
It’s funny online. It’s not funny when you’re carrying groceries.

7) Accessibility Misses That Should Never Happen

Some of the most important functionality mistakes are also the least funny: ramps that are too steep, doors without adequate maneuvering space, steps with no
handrails, or “accessible” routes that are technically present but practically unusable.

In the U.S., accessibility is supported by enforceable standards (including the ADA Standards for Accessible Design), and guidance from agencies like the
U.S. Access Board spells out technical detailslike when handrails are required and how stairway elements should be configured for safe use.^[3][4][5]

The big takeaway: accessibility isn’t a bonus feature. It’s part of basic functionality for real people.

8) Safety and Egress “Oopsies”

The scariest fails are the ones that interfere with getting out safely: confusing exits, compromised stairs, door swings that pinch corridors, or layouts that
feel like they were designed by a minotaur.

Organizations like NFPA publish guidance on egress basicsbecause in emergencies, buildings must behave predictably. The right path needs to be obvious,
usable, and not blocked by design choices that look cool on paper but fail in real motion.^[10]

How Do These Mistakes Happen (Even When Everyone Is Smart)?

The internet loves the idea that an architect woke up one morning and said, “Let’s put the light switch behind the door for fun.”
Real life is less dramatic and more bureaucratic.

• Coordination gaps: Architecture, structure, mechanical, electrical, plumbingif these don’t line up, you get conflicts that create weird “solutions.”
• Last-minute changes: A client moves a wall. A contractor swaps a product. Suddenly the door swing now hits the toilet.
• Value engineering: A polite phrase meaning, “We removed the thing that made this work.”
• Retrofits and constraints: Renovations have to negotiate existing conditions, and sometimes the building fights back.
• Design for photos, not people: If a space is designed primarily to look striking, the daily user can become an afterthought.

None of these excuses a dysfunctional outcome, but they explain why prevention requires more than talent. It requires process.

How Great Design Teams Prevent “Called-Out” Buildings

The good news: the same kinds of mistakes show up so often because they’re preventable. Strong teams use habits that sound unglamorous but save projects:

Use checklists and quality reviews (yes, really)

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) publishes guidance and checklists aimed at improving quality during design developmentessentially a formal way to
ask, “Did we forget anything obvious?” before the obvious thing becomes permanent.^[12]

Test circulation like it’s a user interface

Walk the plan. Trace daily paths. Carry imaginary groceries. Pretend you’re holding a sleeping toddler while trying to unlock the door. Buildings are physical
softwareif the user journey is broken, you get complaints (or memes).

Design for accessibility early, not at the end

When accessibility is “added later,” it often looks like itawkward ramps, cramped clearances, and bolt-on fixes. Standards exist because people exist.
Treat accessibility as foundational design, not a final checkbox.^[3][4][5]

Learn from buildings after they open

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is basically the grown-up version of reading the comments sectionexcept with walk-throughs, interviews, and performance
metrics so future projects can improve.^[8]

Borrow proven guidance for high-stakes buildings

Public projects and large facilities often rely on detailed standards and criteria (like GSA’s Facilities Standards) to reduce ambiguity and raise the floor
on usability and safety expectations.^[9]

What Homeowners and Renters Can Learn from Architecture-Shaming Posts

Even if you’re not designing a building, you can still use these “fails” as a checklist for your own lifeespecially when touring a home, renting an apartment,
or planning a remodel.

Do a 60-second “function test” walkthrough

• Open doors fullydo they collide with fixtures or furniture zones?
• Stand in the shower/tubdoes the layout make sense, or does it feel like a splashy escape room?
• Walk the kitchen trianglefridge, sink, stovedo you have clear paths?
• Try the stairsdo they feel consistent, safe, and well-lit?

Look for “daily pain points,” not just pretty finishes

Fancy tile can’t compensate for a closet you can’t open because the bed is in the way. Functionality wins slowly, every day. Dysfunction loses loudly,
every day.

Ask what changed

If something looks odd, it may be a clue that the space was altered, repaired, or reconfigured. Sometimes the “fail” isn’t the original designit’s a patch
applied later. Knowing that helps you plan fixes realistically.

Real-Life “Wait…Who Designed This?” Experiences (500+ Words)

The funniest posts on architecture-shaming pages often feel like they’re staged. But the reason they’re so popular is simple: people run into these problems
in real life. Not in a viral-photo waymore in a “this is my daily routine now” way.

One common experience is the door-versus-everything battle. People move into an apartment and realize the bathroom door only opens halfway
before it hits the toilet. It’s not dramatic enough for a lawsuit, but it’s dramatic enough that every guest gets the same awkward tour: “Just… angle yourself
sideways. You’ll see.” In some cases, the “fix” is as small as rehanging the door, swapping to a pocket door, or changing the swing directionexcept those
simple fixes aren’t always simple once walls, plumbing, and permits get involved.

Then there’s the kitchen workflow trap: a refrigerator door that can’t open fully because it hits the counter edge, or a dishwasher that blocks
a key passage when it’s open. These aren’t rare; they happen when appliance clearances aren’t treated as sacred. People end up developing elaborate habits:
unloading the dishwasher in stages, storing frequently used items in the “reachable” cabinets, and keeping the fridge half-stocked so they don’t have to
play Tetris just to pull out a carton of milk.

Stairs create a different kind of storymore physical, less funny in the moment. Someone rents a townhouse with a staircase that feels “off,” and after a week
they realize why: one step is slightly taller than the others. The body expects rhythm; when the rhythm breaks, it can turn a normal stair into a hazard.
People compensate subconsciouslyslowing down, gripping the rail harder, avoiding carrying bulky items upstairs. The staircase still “works,” but it works the
way a shopping cart with a wobbly wheel works: it technically moves, while quietly stealing your joy.

In offices and public buildings, the most common experience is wayfinding confusion. You follow signs to a “Main Entrance” that turns out to be
locked. You walk toward an exit that funnels you into a dead-end lobby. Or you end up in a hallway where every door looks identical, so the only navigation
strategy is “hope and vibes.” When design doesn’t make paths obvious, people invent their own mapslandmarks, shortcuts, and warnings (“Don’t take the left
corridor, it goes nowhere”).

Accessibility frustrations are especially telling. People describe visiting a venue that claims to be accessible, only to discover the “accessible entrance”
is around the back, behind a service gate, up a sloped surface that feels sketchy, or blocked by a delivery cart. The result isn’t just inconvenience; it sends
a message about who the space was designed for. The fix in these stories usually isn’t “add a ramp.” It’s “design the experience so everyone enters with the
same dignity and ease,” which is the heart of universal design thinking.^[7]

The wildest part? Most people aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for rooms that don’t fight them. They want doors that open, stairs that feel safe,
bathrooms that allow a person to exist normally, and layouts that don’t require a daily strategy meeting. When a building does that, nobody posts it online
which might be the highest compliment architecture can get.

Final Take: Function Is the Real Flex

The Bored Panda roundup is funny because it’s absurdbut it’s also a reminder that the best design is often invisible. When functionality is done right, life
flows. When it’s done wrong, the building becomes a recurring character in your day, and not in a cute way.

So enjoy the “40 Times Architects Failed…” chaos for what it is: entertainment, a gentle warning, and a surprisingly useful crash course in why basic usability
matters. And if you ever find yourself tempted to ignore a clearance, a handrail, or a door swing… remember: somewhere out there, the internet is warming up
its screenshot button.