A4 Architecture Blog
A4 Guide: The Art of Architecture
People often think of architects as “building” the structures they design, but the reality is far more complicated and interesting. Even a small house would be difficult for a single person to create solely on his own. Architecture is in fact a collaborative process...
American Architecture Spotlight: Early Georgian
Early Georgian religious structures, exemplified by Trinity Church in Newport, RI, share these characteristics: high steeple to emphasize the importance of religion in colonial life pulpit centered on the main aisle family dedicated pews Trinity Church has a ship-like...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Early Newport Settlement Architecture
A residential example of architectural style of the early Newport settlement is Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House. Built in 1697. The residential Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House was an Early Settlement style residence that exemplified these characteristics: saltbox/New England...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: The Redwood Library – Temple of American Enlightenment
The Redwood Library is the nation’s oldest circulating library still in its original building. It was a product of the Philosophical Club, a group of local 18th-century businessmen who gathered around the famous Bishop Berkeley, a colonial-era religious leader, and...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Newport’s Lost Grand Hotels
Newport hotels seems to be in the midst of a building boom, with three new hotel proposals before various boards and commissions at the time this article is being written. Newport’s reputation as a Gilded Age resort is renowned, and the Newport name has come to embody...
A4 Spotlight: 2017 Doris Duke Preservation Awards
Eleven years ago, the Doris Duke Preservation Awards were established under the auspices of the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) and the city of Newport to review, evaluate and honor those projects in the community that best represent the preservation movement. It...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Mid-Georgian Architecture
A residential example of Mid-Georgian architecture in Newport, RI is Hunter House, built in 1748. The Hunter House is a pristine example of Mid-Georgian architecture in Newport. Some iconic Mid-Georgian features of this residence include: The pineapple detail above...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Belcourt of Newport
For the majority of the great houses designed and built along Bellevue Avenue, the carriage house and stables were usually located a distance from the main house. Even at the Elms, with its high-style carriage house design, in the same style as the main house, the...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Newport Casino – A Tennis Centerpiece
Newport has many notable buildings, but one of the most widely recognizable buildings in the city is the Newport Casino, home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The Casino is really a complex of buildings that are masterpieces of the “Shingle Style” popular...
A4 Spotlight: World Heritage Site – Newport
Once again, Newport is hoping to become a World Heritage site. This column has often argued that Newport is blessed with a broad and deep cultural and architectural heritage. From the city’s rich concentration of colonial houses along Spring Street and in the Point...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: A Mysterious Monument in Newport
Newport is home to an extraordinary number of architectural treasures. For the most part, the architects, owners, and dates of construction for these buildings are well documented. In one case, however, the dates and history of the structure are very much in...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Public Spaces of Newport
When most people think about the idea of “Public Spaces” in Newport, they will often immediately think of parks and public squares. While parks like Touro Park, Queen Anne Square, and Washington Square serve an important role as visual punctuation to the buildings,...
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: Converting to Sustainable Energy
Hydroelectric Dam in Uruguay The issues of climate change sometimes seem so large and intractable that many people feel like there is nothing they can do and throw their hands in the air in hopelessness. However, some other countries have managed to almost completely...
The Evolution of the “15-Minute City” Concept
Colonial Map of Newport, Rhode Island (1878) The 15-Minute City is an urban design concept that aims to create neighborhoods where all of a resident's essential needs can be met within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. This includes access to housing, food, work,...
Newport Architect Spotlight: Richard Morris Hunt (Early Career)
JNA Griswold Design Sketch (Above) and the completed house (Below), 1864 Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895) was the first American citizen to be admitted to study at the École des Beaux Arts, the preeminent school of art and architecture in the world during the 19th...
Newport Spotlight: Ida Lewis Yacht Club (ILYC)
Aerial view of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club (Photo Credits: PJ Dougherty) In a city as old as Newport, Rhode Island, which was founded in 1639, many of the buildings and structures of the city have had to function for many different purposes over time. This blog has noted...
Newport Architectural Spotlight: Harbour Court
New York Yacht Club - Newport, RI (Photo by Ross Cann A4 Architecture) Following the death of John Nicholas Brown I (1860-1906), his young widow Natalie (Dresser) Brown (1869-1950) commissioned Ralph Adams Cram of the Boston firm Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson to...
2023 Doris Duke Preservation Awards
Newport is fortunate to not only have buildings by many notable architects, but to be home to some of their very best works as well. But because Newport has been graced with so many beautiful, old buildings, the care and maintenance of these structures has fallen...
A4 Architectural Spotlight: Newport National Register of Historic Places
White Horse Tavern As any regular reader of the A4 Architecture blog well knows, Newport, Rhode Island is a city with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1639. At the date of the Declaration of Independence, it was the fifth-most populace city in the...
A4 Spotlight: The Increasing Importance of Street Trees
Thames Street (Newport, RI) Street Trees provide value In a world where the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, the importance of street trees cannot be overstated. As temperatures rise rapidly due to the alarming effects of climate change,...
A4 Architectural Spotlight: Newport National Historic Landmarks
The Brick Market Newport, Rhode Island is a city with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1639. At the date of the Declaration of Independence, it was the fifth-most populace city in the American colonies and a major center of trade and commerce. As a...
A4 Architecture Spotlight: Kingscote Mansion
A4 Architectural Spotlight: Kingscote Mansion In Newport, houses were frequently built at one moment in time and then modified and expanded later. As a result, their histories can mirror that of the city itself and of broader architectural evolution as well....
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Fort Adams
Aerial view of Fort Adams In the Colonial era, Newport was one of the most populous and prosperous cities in North America. It was a major deep-water port and a thriving shipping center. In December of 1776 the British Fleet sailed into Newport harbor and took...
A4 Architecture Spotlight: Hope Funds at Marble House
A4 Architecture Spotlight: The Hope Funds Galas in the Newport Mansions All photos by Julie Skarratt The grand mansions built during the Gilded Age in Newport Rhode Island were designed with one primary purpose in mind: to allow their owners to entertain lavishly....