Ever walk by a building and wonder: What’s up with that? For curious people, the question runs deeper than the name or address or type of building. It’s not just the what but the why: Discovering the reason that a place looks the way it does can expose currents in culture, law, fashion, justice and economics — or reveal even bigger questions.

And while every building tells a story, some of them whisper. Some of them mumble, even. Learning to listen to design is challenging (and at times frustrating) because the language is complicated. Yet even a casual study of the built environment can be rewarding.

\MORE INFO: Bloomberg

\IMAGES FROM: Bloomberg