A beautiful 1910 brick mansion in Texas recently underwent renovations. The photos depicting the demolition have angered many in one Reddit community, r/PriceyPads.
"I can already see that new build will be an abomination," one commenter wrote on the post. "What happened to all the trees?"
The before photos showcased a gorgeous landscape surrounding the mansion with numerous trees and blossoming flowers. In the after photo, one building stands surrounded by no foliage.
A battle between environmentally friendly architecture and industrialism has long been a divisive debate among citizens. In recent years, the wastefulness of McMansions has sparked a movement to adopt more minimalist and natural styles, driven by their affordability and environmental benefits.
Compared with the rest of the world, the U.S. is leading the green building sector, according to Building Design + Construction. The sector is growing steadily, with a continued emphasis on energy efficiency, the use of sustainable materials in construction, and the adoption of innovative technologies.
However, according to journalist Kate Wagner, "In 2021 alone, 426,000 homes were built with an area larger than 2,400 square feet; 68,000 of those were 4,000 square feet or more, firmly in McMansion territory," she wrote for The Baffler.
Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?
The surge in cheaply built, large homes with little to no natural yards is still a feature among "new construction." These homes are widely viewed as energy inefficient, as they take a massive amount of energy to climate control and lack natural yards that reduce harmful air quality.
"Trees make good neighbors," explained the Arbor Day Foundation. "They clean the air. They provide homes for animals. They save energy by shading our dwellings, and they provide food for us."
The Arbor Day Foundation also reports that trees increase property value and foster community, with neighborhood trees proven to "reduce stress, improve overall health and development in children, and encourage physical activity."
If your home does not have trees in the yard, there are ways to offset this energy inefficiency with infrastructure like solar panels. Tools like EnergySage provide a free service to compare quotes from local installers and save up to $10,000 on solar installations.
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Commenters are widely in agreement. This new McMansion build needs trees.
"I was told this guy cut down a very old tree. The community was outraged!" one user commented.
Another wrote, "That area is so so beautiful with all of the trees and fabulous homes…destroying it to build a concrete block."
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