A4 Architecture Blog
A4 Spotlight: The International House Centenary
The International House (New York City, New York) On September 15, 2024, the International House of New York City turned 100 years old. This institution proves the power of architecture and design not just to change lives but to even help change the world. The...
A4 Spotlight: The 2024 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards
18th Annual Doris Duke Awards Invite Cover Newport has a rich history visible through the charm of many of its beautifully designed historic buildings and homes. Responsibility for the preservation and maintenance of these buildings has fallen to the people who...
A4 Spotlight: The History of Stick Framing
The United States construction industry and homeowners benefit from being on a continent that is rich is forests and wood resources. As a result, the vast majority of houses have been built not in stone or adobe brick, but from wood “stick framing” with a cladding of...
A4 Architecture Tour: The Point & Washington Square
The Newport Architecture Tour Map Newport Rhode Island was founded in 1639 when a freshwater spring was discovered near a protected deep-water harbor just off the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike other colonies, such as nearby Massachusetts, the colony of "Rhode Island and...
A4 Spotlight: The History of Energy Evolution
Transformative Power Source: Man-Made Fire The story of human civilization is intertwined with the story of our ability to harness energy. From the prehistoric harnessing of fire first that banished the darkness to the current quest to replicate the power of the sun,...
A4 Spotlight: The Architectural Heritage of Jamestown, Rhode Island
Jamestown, Rhode Island Light House Jamestown, Rhode Island was first established in 1678 by the Massachusetts Bay Company on Conanicut Island, the second largest island in the Narragansett Bay. Its rich and long history is well reflected in the community’s...
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 Significance of the Charles Baldwin House
Charles H. Baldwin House (Newport, Rhode Island) In previous articles, we have discussed many buildings in Newport, Rhode Island that have been listed among the 2500 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in the United States. One level below that esteemed honor are...
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: 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...
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...
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...
A4 Spotlight: 2021 Rhode Island Historic Preservation Conference
Rhode Island is a state where historic architecture is a natural resource that helps make the state more attractive to both residents and visitors alike. Tourism is one of the state's central economic drivers. Katherine Warren, the Newport socialite who helped found...
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...
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....
A4 Guide: Phases of the Architectural Design Process
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 various phases of the architectural design process? The...
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...
A4 Guide: How to Choose an Architect
Ross Cann, RA, AIA (A4 Architecture) Choosing an Architect In previous blogs, we have 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...
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...
A4 Guide: Things A Contractor Will Not Tell You
Everyone lives in a house or an apartment, so it is easy to ask, “How tricky can it be to build or renovate one?” The answer is “A lot harder than people think!” As an architect for more than 30 years, I have had a front row seat to hundreds of projects we have been...
A4 Guide: Image of an Architect
If architecture is the materialization of finance, technology, and zeitgeist into the structures that first serve then later represent each era, then what is the proper image of an architect, through whom all these complexities must be filtered? When one does a Google...
Newport Spotlight: A History of Public Schools in Newport
Although we have come to take for granted in the United States that all children will receive a public education, this was not always the case. Education during the Colonial era was a prized and valuable asset that was generally only available to the wealthy. Most...
Newport Architecture Spotlight: Newport School Buildings
Of the school buildings in Newport, the current Rogers High School is the most recognizable, and also the third building to carry this name. The first was built on Church Street in 1873. The second was built on Broadway in 1905 and is now part of the Thompson Middle...
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A4 Spotlight: The History And Evolution Of The Elms Carriage House
The Elms Carriage Houses (Horrace Trumbauer, 1911) In Newport, Rhode Island, it is not just the main buildings that are historic landmarks. In some cases, the “accessory structures” are nearly equally important. The Elms Carriage House, for instance, is a...
A4 Spotlight: The Tower in Touro Park
Newport, Rhode Island’s oldest (and perhaps most mysterious) structure is not even a building. Nestled within the picturesque Touro Park in the center of town stands a circular stone tower, which has beguiled historians, romantics, and conspiracy theorists for...
A4 Spotlight: The Value of Experience
Andrea Palladio / Villa Rotunda (1571 Vicenza, Italy) What qualities should you look for in an architect? The decision to embark on a building project, whether for a home or a commercial space, is a significant undertaking filled with countless choices and potential...
A4 Spotlight: Finishing of Cedar Shingles
Weathered Shingle (Private Residence, Newport, RI) In New England, particularly in Newport, Rhode Island, many houses are designed in the Shingle Style. This style utilized split cedar shingles, which were abundant in New England, to provide sidewall coverage to...
A4 Spotlight: Malbone Castle and Estate
Still nestled amidst the verdant landscapes of Newport, Rhode Island, the Malbone Castle and Estate stands as a testament to centuries of architectural evolution and societal shifts. Its history tells a fascinating story of destruction, rebirth, and enduring grandeur,...
A4 Spotlight: Jackie Kennedy and Newport Architecture
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and Newport, Rhode Island, have been intertwined as icons of elegance and style for more than sixty years. Her deep connection to Newport began during her childhood summers, which were spent at Hammersmith Farm. This sprawling...
A4 Spotlight: Vehicle of Service
Level 01 Floor Plan of a Previous Project (Newport, RI) Architectural drawings are far more than aesthetic representations; within the framework of a construction project, they serve as critical vehicles of service from a contractual perspective. This designation...
A4 Spotlight: The Newport Cliff Walk
Surprisingly, Newport, Rhode Island’s most visited landmark is not a building, but an ancient path called “The Cliff Walk,” a 3.5-mile ribbon of walkway winding along the eastern and southern shoreline. Today, it is the city's most visited landmark, attracting over...
A4 Spotlight:1880 in Newport
The year 1880 stands out as a pivotal moment in the Gilded Age history of Newport, Rhode Island. In that year, two seminal events occurred that solidified its reputation as the preeminent summer destination for America’s social and financial elite. While the town had...
A4 Spotlight: Newport Casino: The Temple to Tennis
This year marks a new chapter in professional tennis in Newport, Rhode Island, where lawn tennis was first introduced to the American continent. For the first time, the Hall of Fame Open will include competition by both men and women, who will be competing for equal...
A4 Spotlight: The 150th of the Founding of St. John’s Episcopal in Newport, RI
St. John The Evangelist Episcopal Church & The Clergy House This year, the congregation of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, located at Washington Street in the Point District of Newport, Rhode Island, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding....
A4 Spotlight: Why Architecture Matters
Hunter House (c.1748 by Peter Harrison) "First we shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us," Winston Churchill famously declared, capturing the profound, reciprocal relationship between humanity and its built environment. Architecture is far more than mere...