alt Hacker NewsOr simpler: people don't exactly want a house layout that was popular 100 years ago. And definitely not the level of insulation it provided. Nor the fact putting any new wiring and piping thru concrete is PITA
Tastes change and so do other requirements.
but, if we actually built for longevity in use, we could build a very durable shell of a house and then use more perishable but easier to modify methods for inside. Build a nice durable brick and concrete shell then use wood and plasterboard for room walls and floors
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In my area of the UK at least, the house layouts of houses built last year aren't appreciably different from those built 200 years ago. That's specifically comparing detached and semi-detached houses. Terraces are a bit different now.
> then use wood and plasterboard for room walls and floor
One of the things I LIKE about older houses is that the interior walls are more solid than plasterboard. There is zero plasterboard in my house and brick gives far better noise insulation than anything timber framed.
There are some downsides, but most people on the UK would prefer houses that were 100+ years old. In the village I live in the houses immediately around me are "only" 50 years old. Most of the ones on the main street are well over 100 years old.
Housing tastes don't really change that much. Yes over the years we've had to fit things like double glazing and better insulation but that's a whole lot cheaper (and better for the environment) than building a whole new building.