Countries throughout Europe are renowned for the beauty and historical significance of their architecture. Though the United States has produced some of the most widely recognized buildings in the world, it still lags behind Europe when it comes to architectural innovation.

American architects have trailed behind the Europeans since the earliest colonials settled here, and the gap is still evident today. Though America lacks Europe’s long history, age is not the only reason the U.S. has been slow to embrace popular European styles.

America’s Historical Lag behind European Trends

Historically, Europe had a long head start in creating a wide range of architectural styles and designs. When colonial Americans were erecting their first buildings — which were, for the most part, simple and utilitarian in nature — Europeans were busy accomplishing impressive breakthroughs in architectural innovation such as the Baroque and Rococo styles.

The Europeans popularized many important architectural trends long before they ever caught on in the U.S.

Gothic Revival

Europe began building in the Gothic Revival style in the late 1700s, but the U.S. didn’t begin using it until more than 100 years later. When it finally caught on, it could be seen throughout the country in churches, government buildings, and universities. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan (pictured below) — widely considered to be the most important American Gothic Revival structure — wasn’t finished until 1878.

Modernist

The modernist style emerged in Europe in the early 20th century, but it wasn’t until the 1930s, when Frank Lloyd Wright recognized its importance, that it appeared in the U.S. By the end of World War II, the boxy, unadorned modernist style was popping up all over the country. The United Nations complex, built in New York in 1953 using glass curtain wall construction, is a special example of this style.

America’s Lag in Green Architecture

The delay of these important periods in U.S. architecture may partially explain why it lags behind Europe, but upon closer examination, we find that it cannot be the only reason. Americans are slow to latch on to newly emerging trends that are common in Europe. While European design tends to embrace efficiency and functionality, Americans are more concerned with building things bigger.

Probably the best indication of the American lag in modern design is illustrated by its hesitance to embrace “green” building techniques, largely due to the lack of government regulation. By the 1990s, nearly all new buildings constructed in Europe were required to meet minimum environmental standards. Today, the U.S. has no federal sustainability regulations for new constructions.

The LEED guidelines, a voluntary program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 1993, are the only real guiding principles available. While these guidelines are starting to become more widely followed in the U.S., it is still a voluntary program that hasn’t yet made a major impact on the majority of new commercial and residential construction.

Europe’s Move to Green 2.0

A new aspect of green design that is trending in Europe involves designing buildings that are green but don’t look green.

In the words of German architect Matthias Sauerbruch, “The eco-friendly projects you saw in the 1970s with solar panels and recycled materials…they were so self-conscious. We call this ‘Birkenstock architecture.’ Now we don’t need to do this anymore. The basic technology is all pretty accepted.”

A great example of conspicuous green design can be seen in the eccentric American designer Buckminster Fuller’s work on the Whole Earth Catalog in the ’60s and ’70s. Pictured below is one of Fuller’s designs from the Drop City commune in Colorado, built in 1965 from mostly recycled and scavenged materials.

Once again, the U.S. has been slow to embrace this more subtle green 2.0 trend, such as the use of smaller, more communal living and working spaces, the reuse and repurposing of industrial wastelands and brown sites, and the use of passive housing, which makes traditional heating systems obsolete.

U.S. Consumers Are Catching Up

Fortunately, the green movement is a rising trend among American consumers, and even non-environmentally conscious builders may embrace green architecture once they recognize the economic reward. The hybrid and electric car movement (another European trend that was slow to start in the U.S., but has exploded in growth) and eco architecture may not be far behind.

As green standards become more accepted, architects won’t have to force them. New building owners will push for spaces that are energy-efficient, although this may not be the case for developers and businesses. If they can’t see past the cost of the initial investment, their motivation may flag.

American designers might be late to the show, but these green trends are catching on. This is due not only to the increasing concern for environmental responsibility, but also because Americans have seen how well they have worked in Europe. In a way, Europe has provided us with a glimpse into what America’s architectural future holds, and in our shrinking world of instant communication and ease of travel, it’s only a matter of time before the U.S. catches up.

Matthew Gordon is the President and CEO of Gordon Group, a holding company for multiple e-commerce businesses, including Avanti Systems. AvantiSystemsUSA is a European-based glass company that supplies and installs architectural glass wall and glass door systems. With over 25 years of experience, Avanti delivers some of the best world-class glass systems for offices and commercial spaces.