@tntrecycling :
But it's not nothing. Blank walls and hedges facing the street while the actual entrance of the building is off to the side or in the back sends a message. It's a building that has turned its back on the street. It would be like us meeting face to face and I turn my back on you. It would be offensive, and that's what this design is to anyone passing it on the street. It says to the public space (and thus the public), "You're not important." It makes the streetscape a dead space. People will hurry by it uncomfortably if they're walking on the street. It would be like going into a traditional neighborhood, tearing down a historic home, and then building a ranch with a blank wall facing the street. It would be an affront to the public as well as the neighboring property owners.
Furthermore, if we really only care about utility, it's also less safe. When buildings face the street, they have windows, and people in offices in those windows, and those people can look out or down onto the street and can observe what's happening, and that provides safety. Generally speaking, people don't want to commit a crime when someone is looking because they don't want to get caught. They're not going to commit a crime in front of a building with windows and people sitting in those windows able to see onto the street. But in front of a blank wall? Who's going to know if I rob the vehicle unlucky enough to be parked in front of this dead space where no one can see?
And then there's litter/snow removal/condition of the sidewalk/general upkeep. People keep the front of their buildings the cleanest, in best repair, and most attractive, and that's another reason you want the front of the building to be street-facing. If an organization thinks so little of the street-facing portion of their building that they will put a blank wall there, what makes us think they will think enough of it to keep it looking as good as it can? They've already indicated they place no value on the street facade.
It's a very bad design not suitable to an urban context. It's not uplifting to the public sphere.
