A4 Architecture Blog
A4 Architecture Spotlight: The History and Urban Importance of Newport’s Long Wharf
Painting of Washington Square and Long Wharf - 1818 One of Newport, Rhode Island’s oldest and most important landmarks is not a building, but a road called “Long Wharf.” When Newport was first founded in 1639 it was settled based on two critical...
A4 Architecture Spotlight: The Rise and Fall of the American Pedestrian Malls Center
Pedestrian malls are areas of a city or town where cars are not allowed and pedestrians have free rein. Pedestrian malls became popular in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s as a way to try to revitalize downtown areas that were struggling due to...
A4 Architecture Spotlight: The Rise and Fall of the American Shopping Center
For much of the twentieth century the shopping mall was the embodiment of American consumerism, a bastion of capitalism, and an icon of Consumer Economy. But as we approach the second decade of the 21st century, it's clear that the heyday of the shopping mall has come...
A4 Architecture Spotlight: Complete Streets
The concept of "Complete Streets" is a design approach that aims to make streets safer and more accessible for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, and motorists. The idea behind complete streets is to create a balanced transportation...
A4 Architecture Spotlight: Building Codes
The recent earthquakes in Turkey have once again highlighted the vital importance of building codes for disaster preparedness. As someone who has spent decades working in the architectural design industry, I can state that building codes are absolutely essential for...
A4 Introduction to AI
My fellow citizens, the time has come. The future is here, and it is called ChatGPT. This revolutionary AI chatbot website is here to change the world, and we must embrace it with all our strength and determination. I know that many of you are eager to try ChatGPT for...
A4 Guide: Induction Cooking
Imagine using a cooktop where the pot gets hot, but the stovetop remains cold. Imagine being able to boil water twice as fast as a gas range but without the danger of an open flame. Imagine reducing not only the toxic gases within your home but also reducing the...
A4 Guide: Pros and Cons of Natural Gas
Nearly everyone has come to the conclusion that global warming and severe climate change are both real and serious. Nearly 1/3 of California was listed as being at danger of fire, there are severe storms and flooding elsewhere in the country, and parts of the Arctic...
A4 Architecture Spotlight: Heat Pumps
One of the most interesting technological developments of the last decade, were improvements to heat pump systems. Unlike standard boilers of furnaces, which normally burn either by heating oil or natural gas to generate heat, heat pumps use either the ambient latent...
A4 Spotlight: Renovating in a Historic District
In the realm of architecture change is inevitable. It can come in the form of disintegration or renovation. Buildings are made of imperfect materials and are subjected to rain, snow, heat, and cold. Similarly, as civilization evolves, buildings need to evolve along...
Architectural Spotlight: St. George’s Chapel
The noble, elegant and magnificent architecture of Newport County is not just located in the city of Newport but is found in each of the other five communities that are also part of the county, including Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton and Jamestown....
A4 Spotlight: Waves
Newport’s many great houses are continually going through transformations and evolution. One interesting example is the Waves, which is built on the southernmost projection of Aquidneck Island out into the Atlantic Ocean. Originally a mile from downtown Newport, the...