A4 Architecture Blog
Newport Historical Spotlight: The History of Newport’s Point
The 2019 Newport Architectural Symposium took place this past Saturday, May 25. The topic selected for the Symposium was “The Architecture and History of Newport’s Point Neighborhood.” There are really no areas of Newport that have a full spectrum of buildings from...
A4 Spotlight: The Block Island Times – “New Wine in Old Bottles”
In the Spring 2019 issue of House & Garden, a special publication by The Block Island Times, Ross Sinclair Cann wrote an article titled “New Wine in Old Bottles.” This article discusses effective ways to renovate old structures to current standards while...
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...
A4 Guide: Developing an Eye for Design
Developing an Eye for Design in Newport, Rhode Island Architects go beyond merely looking at the surface of a project to try and see through to the underlying issues. These are skills that translate across many professions and areas of interest. “Looking” is primarily...
A4 Guide: Public Spaces – Streets and Sidewalks
When most people think about the subject of "Public Spaces," streets and sidewalks are not the first thought - they will often immediately think of parks and public squares. The recent debate about and subsequent renovation of Queen Anne Square shows how much...
Architect Spotlight: “My Architect” Louis Kahn
Newport is blessed with many beautiful and important structures which were built between the mid-seventeenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. There have even been some great additions to the architectural fabric of Newport in the last few decades but during...
Newport Spotlight: Newport County Complete Streets Policy
In 2010, the City Council pledged to make Newport a "Complete Streets" community and this largely unheralded event has slowly been changing the way public projects are designed. Complete Streets is a principle developed by the Smart Growth planning movement, and...
A4 Guide: Flood Preparation
Super Storm Sandy hit America forcefully, both in a physical and in a psychological way. Now that the New York/New Jersey area has been hit by major weather events not just in successive years but (with the winter storm Athena) in successive weeks, many are wondering...
A4 Guide: New Urbanism and Mixed-Use Development
“New Urbanism” is a term that has come into common usage after the foundation of the Congress for New Urbanism in 1993, but the ideas behind this concept are as old as cities themselves — it is just that we had forgotten the principles for a very long time. To...
Newport Spotlight: Return of Historic Tax Credits
Maintaining and restoring historic buildings is challenging, but it is often these structures that give character and form to beautiful communities like Newport. Thus, there is a strong societal and economic advantage for the government to help assure that these old...
Newport Historical Spotlight: Newport and the Future of Planning
While Newport has been dealing with winter blizzards, behind the scenes, forward progress has been occurring on various planning efforts which will hopefully have impacts on the physical design of Newport in this (and future) summers. After a long absence in the post...
Newport Architectural Spotlight: The Future of Planning
The new year is always a time when the real estate industry takes a step back to evaluate the progress it has made in the year past, anticipate the prospects for the year ahead, and open the opportunity for Newport future planning. It is no surprise that the main...
A4 Guide: Storm Window Installation and Insulation Save Money
As the nighttime temperatures begin to fall, it is useful to remember that there are few investments in your home that are less visible, but more valuable, than the installation of insulation. There have been some tremendous advances in the technology of insulation in...
Newport Spotlight: Architectural Symposium: Horace Trumbauer
There are many great architects who worked in Newport over its long and illustrious history. Richard Morris Hunt, Stanford White, and Peter Harrison are all names that have become familiar to those that read the “Archi-Text” column regularly. A somewhat less familiar...
A4 Guide: LEED Certification and Sustainable Design
As energy prices continue to rise and concerns about “global warming” and “carbon footprints” become more widespread, the building industry is beginning to change to address these new concerns. We are currently at the leading edge of the “green building” phenomenon —...
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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...
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...