A good point.
The problem with the author's concept is that Beauty has always been pricey and more difficult to maintain then Plain.
I think I told you about my stained glass. Such beauty but... it takes me as long to clean it as it does to do all the other windows in the house. If you moved people who have no cleaning service into lovely Georgian housing how long would it stay lovely?
Of course, there is the other problem with some of the new buildings is that they are not plain but down right ugly and with features that are every bit as hard to maintain as beauty would be.
Good point. Things can be basic without being ugly.