A4 Architecture Blog

Historically “The Grand Tour” of Europe was a cultural and educational journey undertaken by well-to-do young Englishmen from the 17th to the 19th centuries. It was considered an essential part of their education, particularly for those aspiring to become architects....

License Plate Design - Final   Part of being an architect is helping support the community. Over the years Ross Cann, RA, AIA, the founding principle of A4 Architecture has served on more than two dozen Newport of Rhode Island boards, committees, or commissions....

After being a licensed architect for thirty years (which is even more amazing considering how long it takes to become licensed), I am taking the liberty of sharing some thoughts and quotations that I have developed over that time. I hope you will find some of them...

LEED-ing the Way - Cover Page   The first step in making buildings more sustainable is to establish and then encourage best practices. In 1993 the U.S. Green Building Council, spearheaded by Natural Resource Defense Council scientist Robert K Watson, established...

The A4 Architecture Project Guide   For people beginning their first design and construction project there is often a sense of fear and ignorance. They know that the process is going to be challenging and they may have heard stories of schedule delays and budget...

Brick Market Front Façade - Newport, RI At the center of historic Newport, Rhode Island sits the Brick Market. This structure is an important historic building and was designed by the renowned architect Peter Harrison in 1762.  Peter Harrison (1716-1775) was an...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...