A4 Architecture Blog
A4 Spotlight: Arbor Day
Arbor Day, a celebration of trees and a call to action for planting them, will be observed this year on April 25. This annual event has a rich history, rooted in one visionary’s concern for the environment and the well-being of future generations. In 1872, Julius...
A4 Spotlight: Earth Day
Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated annually on April 22. This day stands as a vital reminder of our interconnectedness with the planet and the urgent need for environmental stewardship. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, recognizing a growing awareness of...
A4 Spotlight: The Return of the Newport Symposium
After a five-year hiatus, a longstanding scholarly tradition has returned to Newport. On Thursday, April 3, 2025, The Newport Symposium was revived by the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC), following its absence from the annual event calendar during the...
A4 Spotlight: The Why and How of Recycling
The global climate crisis is no longer a distant threat; it is a present reality, marked by extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disrupted ecosystems. In this context, seemingly mundane practices like recycling and composting become crucial tools in our...
A4 Spotlight: Heat Pumps for Historic Houses
Chateau-sur-Mer (Newport, RI) Photo Credits: PSNC The Preservation Society of Newport County has embarked on a significant initiative to modernize the climate control systems within its historic properties, with a focus on achieving both sustainability and material...
A4 Spotlight: AC Retrofit
Diagram of AC System in Historic Home, Credit: Pinterest They don’t call climate change “Global warming” for nothing. As the average temperature of the planet increases each year, the need for air-conditioning becomes greater each year. The fact that creating...
A4 Spotlight: Modern Adaptive Reuse
Newport, Rhode Island, has long benefited from "Adaptive Reuse," which is the practice of repurposing old buildings for purposes they were not originally intended for. Founded in 1639, Newport grew to be the fifth-largest city in the American colonies at the time of...
A4 Spotlight: Newport Buildings in HBO’s The Gilded Age
The Ballroom at The Breakers in HBO's The Gilded Age, Credit to Alison Cohen Rosa Sir Julian Fellowes became famous for his wildly successful television series Downton Abbey, about the Grantham Family and their ancestral home. To follow up on that success,...
A4 Spotlight: Plastics in Architecture
Facade Made Of Plastic No one wants their longest impact on Earth to be the plastic trash they send to a landfill. Our planet faces dual challenges: the pervasive pollution by microplastics and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment....
A4 Spotlight: The PSNC Stores
Gates of The Breakers during the Holiday Season During this Holiday Season and for centuries before, people of every faith have given their loved ones something special at this time of year. However, the way that people shop and buy these gifts has changed...
A4 Spotlight: The 2024 Rhody Awards
2024 Preserve RI "Rhody" Awards at Rosecliff, Newport, RI, Newport RI On October 20, 2024, Preserve Rhode Island celebrated the 2024 Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation at Rosecliff in Newport. This ceremony recognized outstanding achievements in historic...
A4 Spotlight: The History of Chateau Sur Mer
Chateau-sur-Mer, like so many grand houses in Newport, evolved over its long life showing the influences of multiple owners, multiple architects, and multiple eras in and throughout its walls. In 1851, William Shepard Wetmore, a prominent China trade...
A4 Spotlight: Arbor Day
Arbor Day, a celebration of trees and a call to action for planting them, will be observed this year on April 25. This annual event has a rich history, rooted in one visionary’s concern for the environment and the well-being of future generations. In 1872, Julius...
A4 Spotlight: Earth Day
Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated annually on April 22. This day stands as a vital reminder of our interconnectedness with the planet and the urgent need for environmental stewardship. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, recognizing a growing awareness of...
A4 Spotlight: The Return of the Newport Symposium
After a five-year hiatus, a longstanding scholarly tradition has returned to Newport. On Thursday, April 3, 2025, The Newport Symposium was revived by the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC), following its absence from the annual event calendar during the...
A4 Spotlight: The Why and How of Recycling
The global climate crisis is no longer a distant threat; it is a present reality, marked by extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disrupted ecosystems. In this context, seemingly mundane practices like recycling and composting become crucial tools in our...
A4 Spotlight: Heat Pumps for Historic Houses
Chateau-sur-Mer (Newport, RI) Photo Credits: PSNC The Preservation Society of Newport County has embarked on a significant initiative to modernize the climate control systems within its historic properties, with a focus on achieving both sustainability and material...
A4 Spotlight: AC Retrofit
Diagram of AC System in Historic Home, Credit: Pinterest They don’t call climate change “Global warming” for nothing. As the average temperature of the planet increases each year, the need for air-conditioning becomes greater each year. The fact that creating...
A4 Spotlight: Electrical Infastructure
Recently, one of our clients requested an upgrade to their power supply from the local electrical utility in order to install more sustainable heating and cooling for a building on their property. Because the grid lacked the capacity, they were denied the installation...
A4 Spotlight: Home Insurance
Climate change is significantly reshaping the landscape of home insurance across the United States, with Rhode Island feeling the effects particularly acutely. Rising sea levels, increased frequency of severe storms, and heightened fire and flood risks are forcing...
A4 Spotlight: Water Sustainability
This past year, the price of municipal water in Newport increased by 17.5%. Newport is not alone in seeing the price of water increase even faster than the rate of general inflation. This trend is happening both around the United States and globally. As 2025 unfolds,...
A4 Spotlight: Modern Adaptive Reuse
Newport, Rhode Island, has long benefited from "Adaptive Reuse," which is the practice of repurposing old buildings for purposes they were not originally intended for. Founded in 1639, Newport grew to be the fifth-largest city in the American colonies at the time of...
A4 Spotlight: Aging In Place
Like many cultures worldwide, American society is getting older on average. As people live longer and have fewer children, the demographics of the population are changing rapidly. In the United States, where multi-generational households are less common, the...
A4 Spotlight: Goldman Sachs 10KSB program
When architects, lawyers, doctors and many other professionals graduate from university, they are often well prepared in their area of expertise but exceedingly unprepared to manage a professional practice or business. For generations, these small business leaders...
A4 Spotlight: The 2024 Rhody Awards
2024 Preserve RI "Rhody" Awards at Rosecliff, Newport, RI, Newport RI On October 20, 2024, Preserve Rhode Island celebrated the 2024 Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation at Rosecliff in Newport. This ceremony recognized outstanding achievements in historic...
A4 Spotlight: CAD vs BIM
Proposed First Floor Plan of a Current Residential Project (Newport, RI) Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) has been a cornerstone of architectural and engineering design since the 1990’s. It revolutionized the industry by replacing traditional hand-drafting methods with...
A4 Architecture’s Twentieth Anniversary
In Honor of Our 20 Year Anniversary I graduated from Architectural School in 1990 and received my professional license to practice architecture by passing all eight exams by 1993, which was the earliest I was allowed to sit for the exams following a three-year...
A4 Spotlight: The History and Significance of Hammersmith Farm
Aerial View of Hammersmith Farm (Newport, Rhode Island) Hammersmith Farm is a sprawling estate in Newport, Rhode Island, steeped in history and anchored by a magnificent Victorian Era mansion. It embodies the Gilded Age, an era of architectural grandeur and societal...
A4 Spotlight: Making Architecture from Buildings
East View Before & After of Past Project (Newport, Rhode Island) There is a difference between “Architecture” and “Building.” Architecture is an art form that aspires to create an experience and impact the imagination and mindset of the user whereas building is...
A4 Spotlight: The History and Importance of the Watts Sherman House
Watts-Sherman House The William Watts-Sherman House is an architectural landmark set amongst the opulent mansions of Newport, Rhode Island. It was designed from 1875-76 by noted architect Henry Hobson Richardson, and although it is a large and gracious home, it is...
A4 Spotlight: The History and Importance of the Isaac Bell House
Isaac Bell House While the Isaac Bell House is a relatively modest building compared to the opulent mansions of Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island which surround it, its historical significance is far greater than its size. This structure, originally called...
A4 Spotlight: Accessory Dwelling Units in RI
Carriage House Render (Newport, RI) As part of our ongoing study of the Affordable Housing shortage in Rhode Island, we will examine the current status of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) within the state. ADUs, also known as “granny flats” or in-law apartments, are...
A4 Spotlight: Affordable Housing in RI
Original Condition Axon (Newport, RI) For an ever-increasing percentage of Americans, the dream of safe, affordable housing remains elusive and the situation in Rhode Island is even more challenging than most places. To understand the current landscape, it is helpful...
A4 Guide: Financing your Project
Financing A Project Diagram Let me preface this article by stating I am an architect and not an accountant or a finance professional, but without a proper financial foundation for a project, it cannot happen. For this reason, we have come to understand the many...
A4 Guide: The Six Phases of the Architectural Design Process
Previous Project on Ocean Ave (Newport, Rhode Island) In previous Archi-TEXT articles it was discussed the value of an architect to help you navigate the various phases of the design of a new home or building or the renovation of an existing one, but what are the...
A4 Project Spotlight: Portsmouth Town Center
Architecture is all about creating buildings and interiors that are beautiful, functional, sustainable, and enjoyable to use. When you add buildings together you create communities. This process, when done consciously, is called “urban design” and “community...
A4 Spotlight: Arbor Day
Arbor Day, a celebration of trees and a call to action for planting them, will be observed this year on April 25. This annual event has a rich history, rooted in one visionary’s concern for the environment and the well-being of future generations. In 1872, Julius...
A4 Spotlight: Earth Day
Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated annually on April 22. This day stands as a vital reminder of our interconnectedness with the planet and the urgent need for environmental stewardship. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, recognizing a growing awareness of...
A4 Spotlight: The Return of the Newport Symposium
After a five-year hiatus, a longstanding scholarly tradition has returned to Newport. On Thursday, April 3, 2025, The Newport Symposium was revived by the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC), following its absence from the annual event calendar during the...
A4 Spotlight: The Why and How of Recycling
The global climate crisis is no longer a distant threat; it is a present reality, marked by extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disrupted ecosystems. In this context, seemingly mundane practices like recycling and composting become crucial tools in our...
A4 Spotlight: Heat Pumps for Historic Houses
Chateau-sur-Mer (Newport, RI) Photo Credits: PSNC The Preservation Society of Newport County has embarked on a significant initiative to modernize the climate control systems within its historic properties, with a focus on achieving both sustainability and material...
A4 Spotlight: AC Retrofit
Diagram of AC System in Historic Home, Credit: Pinterest They don’t call climate change “Global warming” for nothing. As the average temperature of the planet increases each year, the need for air-conditioning becomes greater each year. The fact that creating...
A4 Spotlight: Electrical Infastructure
Recently, one of our clients requested an upgrade to their power supply from the local electrical utility in order to install more sustainable heating and cooling for a building on their property. Because the grid lacked the capacity, they were denied the installation...
A4 Spotlight: Home Insurance
Climate change is significantly reshaping the landscape of home insurance across the United States, with Rhode Island feeling the effects particularly acutely. Rising sea levels, increased frequency of severe storms, and heightened fire and flood risks are forcing...
A4 Spotlight: Water Sustainability
This past year, the price of municipal water in Newport increased by 17.5%. Newport is not alone in seeing the price of water increase even faster than the rate of general inflation. This trend is happening both around the United States and globally. As 2025 unfolds,...
A4 Spotlight: Modern Adaptive Reuse
Newport, Rhode Island, has long benefited from "Adaptive Reuse," which is the practice of repurposing old buildings for purposes they were not originally intended for. Founded in 1639, Newport grew to be the fifth-largest city in the American colonies at the time of...
A4 Spotlight: Aging In Place
Like many cultures worldwide, American society is getting older on average. As people live longer and have fewer children, the demographics of the population are changing rapidly. In the United States, where multi-generational households are less common, the...
A4 Spotlight: Goldman Sachs 10KSB program
When architects, lawyers, doctors and many other professionals graduate from university, they are often well prepared in their area of expertise but exceedingly unprepared to manage a professional practice or business. For generations, these small business leaders...