A4 Architecture Blog
Architecture Spotlight: Notre Dame and the Importance of Architecture
In the picture above, a crane is working on Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, April 19, 2019. Rebuilding Notre Dame, the 800-year-old Paris cathedral devastated by fire last week, will cost billions of dollars as architects, historians and artisans work to...
A4 Project Spotlight: King of Games or Game of Kings?
The players of this 45-minute match in Newport were Larry Phillips, Paul Weber, Prince Edward, and Marc Lewinstein. Last week, Newport played host to Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest child. Edward is on a worldwide tour of Real Tennis courts as part of an...
A4 Spotlight: Newport Restoration Foundation
Rough Point, built in a baronial style from quarried stone, was the Dukes' home in Newport. Doris Duke's Restoration Foundation will celebrate its golden anniversary with many special activities. Newport is fortunate to have buildings that feature some of the best...
Architecture Spotlight: Rhode Island Lighthouses
A building type particular and special to the coastal areas, both around the United States and around the world, is the lighthouse. Built to aid in marine navigation and warn boats away from hazardous rock outcroppings, lighthouses have existed from the early days of...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Heritage of Newport Architecture
Newport is a treasure trove of important architecture, from the time of the earliest European settlement of North America to the present day. This vast and irreplaceable portfolio is managed not just by the city or a single institution, but by a large and varied group...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Washington Square – Heart of Newport Civic Life
Every great community needs a great gathering place, and for the last 350 years, Washington Square in Newport has been it's heart. Over time, the square had become a bit rundown and vacant of activity, but today the parts and pieces of this area are coming back...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Gothic Revival
The Gothic Revival architectural style in Newport prominently showcased elaborate carved bargeboards at the gable ends, an asymmetrical plan, diamond pained windows and were often painted to resemble stone. Kingscote, specifically, holds its place in the Gothic...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Greek Revival
The Captain Littlefield House is located on Historic Hill in Newport, Rhode Island. Its neighbors are other Greek Revival structures but have been done in a simpler tone. It was built by John Ladd in 1836, and is an especially exuberant version of the Greek Revival...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Federal Period
With brick structures being popularized by Philadelphian townhouses and architecture, brick was a trend of the time and greatly available. The above picture shows the Samuel Whitehorne House, which was built in 1811. It is a great example of the federal period of...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: High Georgian
The Vernon House in Newport, Rhode Island is a stunning example of High Georgian design in a residential setting. Some trademark High Georgian characteristics are: steeply sloped hipped roof decorative balustrade at Widows walk large decorative door alternating curved...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: The Breakers
Newport has many grand homes, but there is none grander here (or really anywhere in America) than The Breakers. It is (ironically) called a “cottage,” not because it is small but because it was used for only the summer. The Breakers was designed by Richard Morris...
American Architecture Spotlight: Palladian
The Redwood Library marked the introduction of a new style of American architecture - Palladian - into the city of Newport. It featured such Palladian characteristics as: rusticated panels emulating stone appropriate to earlier models columns and pediment, although...
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
A4 Spotlight: “Strategic Retreat” in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is called the "Ocean State," and is no stranger to the ebb and flow of the waters. But as climate change intensifies, coastal communities are having to confront a difficult choice: fight or retreat. The concept of "strategic retreat," which is the planned...
A4 Spotlight: : Innovations in Sustainable Energy
Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT) Over the past century, human dependence on fossil fuels has cast a long shadow over the planet, creating undeniable change to the climate and leaving a legacy of environmental degradation. However, on the horizon, a wide variety of...
A4 Spotlight: Origins of Shingle Style
The Shingle Style has become one of the most popular and long-lived styles of architectural design, particularly in the eastern resort cities. Many will find it surprising that the style, which has become so popular, was originally a relatively short-lived offshoot of...
A4 Spotlight: Julie Skarratt Photography
Newport Casino Hope Fund Event During Covid 2020 All photos courtesy of Julie Skarratt Photography The success of organizations is dependent upon the quality of the partnerships they make. The Hope Funds reached out to A4 Architecture to help with the design of its...
A4 Spotlight: Christmas in Newport
The Breakers During the Christmas Season (Newport, Rhode Island) Newport has gained fame as the summer resort for wealthy families during the Gilded Age. The grand mansions, constructed between 1865 and 1915, were primarily utilized during an 8 to 10-week period from...
A4 Spotlight: Act 6061 Legislation
Rhode Island Housing Zoning Map On February 22, 2022, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee signed into law Act 6061, also known as the "Zoning Modernization and Housing Act." This landmark legislation introduced significant changes to the states zoning ordinances, aiming...
A4 Spotlight: The 179D Energy Tax Credit
HVAC System Diagram The 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction is a tax incentive that allows building owners to deduct the cost of certain energy-efficient improvements to their buildings. The deduction was first introduced in 2005 and has been expanded...
A4 Spotlight: The Architectural Heritage of Newport
The Cover of The Architectural Heritage of Newport, Rhode Island In 1952, the book The Architectural Heritage of Newport, Rhode Island, 1640-1915, was published. It was a collaboration between eminent architectural historian Antoinette Downing and Yale art historian...
A4 Spotlight: Minimizing Parking Requirements
New Urbanism Development (New York City) Last month, Austin, Texas, became the largest city in the country to eliminating parking minimums citywide. In doing so, it joined other cities like Nashville, Tennessee, Olympia, Washington and many others in eliminated...
A4 Spotlight: Long Wharf North Renovation
Long Wharf Mall (Newport, Rhode Island) When Newport was first founded in 1639 upon the discovery of a freshwater spring near the deep-water harbor, there was one main road connecting the spring to the water: Long Wharf. This wharf extended out into the Narragansett...
A4 Spotlight: Preserving Colonial Newport
52 Thames Street Exterior Before & After Newport, Rhode Island, is a city with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1639. It is home to some of the finest examples of Colonial Era architecture in the United States. However, many of historic houses have...
A4 Architecture Spotlight: The Helmway Restaurant Transformation
The Helmway Restaurant At the heart of every wonderful travel experience is the opportunity to eat local foods in delightful and comfortable settings. As part of the renovation and reposting of the Pell Hotel on Aquidneck Island in Middletown, RI, which is...