For Ruskin, the aesthetic was of overriding significance. His work goes on to state that a building is not truly a work of architecture unless it is in some way "adorned". For Ruskin, a well-constructed, well-proportioned, functional building needed string courses or rustication, at the very least.
Is there an answer to this question (If it cannot be answered, say "unanswerable"): What features at minimum did Ruskin insist on for a building to be considered functional?
string courses or rustication