A4 Architecture Blog

A4 Guide: Welcome to Newport

A4 Guide: Welcome to Newport

Newport has long had the reputation of being the pre-eminent “Summer Resort” in the North Eastern United States. It is famous in books and movies as being “the place to be” in the summer from the 1870’s through the present day. But how did Newport come to be known as...

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A4 Guide: Architectural Quotes

A4 Guide: Architectural Quotes

52 Great Architectural Quotes   26 Best Quotes About Design by Non-Architects “Architecture must honor three things: Strength. Function. Beauty.” --Vitruvius “Beauty perishes in life, but is immortal in art.” --Leonardo da Vinci “Architecture is frozen music.”...

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A4 Guide: Preserving Newport

A4 Guide: Preserving Newport

As the Archi-TEXT column has pointed out many times, Newport is an extraordinary treasure trove of historic architecture, spanning from the early days of the Colonial settlement of New England and continuing right up until the present day. Newport is fortunate to be a...

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A4 Project Spotlight: Vinland Estate

A4 Project Spotlight: Vinland Estate

A4 Architecture is in the midst of helping fix McAuley Hall, which was originally designed by the noted Boston architectural firm of Peabody & Stearns in 1882 for Catherine Lorillard Wolfe as "The Vinland Estate." This is one of the "Crown Jewels" in Salve Regina...

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A4 Guide: Salute to Architectural Clients

A4 Guide: Salute to Architectural Clients

This is a salute to those people who choose to create special buildings and homes by serving as architectural clients. Undertaking the custom design and construction of a building is not easy, which is why so many people decide to just buy a “builder special,” – which...

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A4 Guide: Being A Good Client

A4 Guide: Being A Good Client

Many people never give even the slightest consideration to “being a good client,” but they are lessening the quality of work they are receiving and probably increasing their cost of service without realizing it. While this is written from the perspective of...

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A4 Guide: Architect Fees

A4 Guide: Architect Fees

“How much does an architect cost?” This is inevitably one of the first questions that people who have not worked before with an architect will ask. But anyone who asks this question is looking at their situation entirely the wrong way round. A better question you...

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A4 Guide: Finding the Right Builder

A4 Guide: Finding the Right Builder

In previous Archi-TEXTs, there have been discussions on how to choose the right architect for your project and how to work with them to choose the right design for your new building or renovation. This article will address the different factors you should consider in...

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A4 Guide: Construction Documents

A4 Guide: Construction Documents

In past Archi-TEXT articles, it has been discussed that one of the prime contributions an architect can make to a project and the key determinate of how successfully the construction project will go is the quality and completeness of the construction documentation....

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A4 Guide: How to Choose a Design

A4 Guide: How to Choose a Design

In a previous Archi-TEXT, it was discussed how to find the right architect for your project. But that is just the first step in your design journey. Now the fun part begins: how to choose a design and guide it. Your architect will be tasked with managing space and...

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A4 Guide: How to Choose an Architect

A4 Guide: How to Choose an Architect

In previous blogs, Archi-TEXT has addressed the issues of whether you need an architect and what value an architect can bring to your project. This article will address how to evaluate and select an architect. There are many things that you might want to find in an...

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A4 Guide: Becoming an Architect

A4 Guide: Becoming an Architect

Until the late nineteenth century, the process of becoming an architect was through apprenticeships and practice, and nearly exclusively for men. Like most crafts, one began as an “Apprentice,” graduated to “Journeyman,” and then late in life, if one worked hard and...

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A4 Architecture Tour: The Shingle Style

A4 Architecture Tour: The Shingle Style

Seeing pictures of architecture can be useful, but there is no substitution for seeing the real buildings firsthand. Fortunately, in Newport Rhode Island there are so many notable works of architecture that you can experience many important examples of the craft’s...

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