You might be interested in the Dom-Römer-Project in Frankfurt [0], where they re-build a major part of the old town center, using reconstructions or houses build in a "traditional" style. There was an extremely ugly and unfair discussion between the advocates of the project and modernist architects, which basically ended in the modernists accusing the former of facism and populism - which is completely absurd.

This is the building they demolished for the project:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Te...

It is still lauded by some as a masterpiece, which either means that I have zero architectural understanding, or that they are using different metrics to measure architectural quality.

The Dom-Römer-Project was and is a huge success. For me, the lesson is that if you want to avoid architectural controversies outside the world of renowned architects (meaning if you want to general population to like a building), build traditional. It's as simple as that.

Another thing I really like about the Dom-Römer-Project was the enthusiasm of the people who build it. It makes a huge difference if you are a carpenter and you are just inserting pre-made doors into a modern building, or if you have to actually build a classic timber frame [1], which you might only heard of during your apprenticeship.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom-R%C3%B6mer_Project

[1] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Ha...