by Ross Cann AIA RA | Jan 28, 2026 | Architectural Design, Articles, Guide, Historical
Sainte Chapelle (Paris, France, Built 1248) People often think of architecture as the “background” of our lives, but to architects, buildings are complex systems and artistic creations. Just as a novelist uses syntax to convey plot or a composer...
by Ross Cann AIA RA | Jan 21, 2026 | Architectural Design, Articles, Guide, Sustainable Design
If you’ve ever been the last person in your household to shower and found yourself shivering under a stream of lukewarm water, you have experienced the primary limitation of the traditional hot water storage tank. For decades, the insulated tank was the standard, but...
by Ross Cann AIA RA | Jan 14, 2026 | Architectural Design, Architectural Historian Spotlight, Articles, Historical, Newport Spotlight
During the Gilded Age, Newport, Rhode Island, transformed from a quiet summer retreat into a glittering stage for America’s “industrial royalty.” At the center of this transformation was the Vanderbilt family and the houses they built and owned. While...
by Ross Cann AIA RA | Jan 7, 2026 | Architectural Design, Articles, Climate Change, Sustainable Design, Technology
As the effects of global climate change are accelerating, the need to convert away from the fuels that scientists have identified as the cause of these changes becomes ever more essential. The conversion of energy production from hydrocarbon-based fuels to more...
by Ross Cann AIA RA | Dec 31, 2025 | Architectural Design, Architectural Historian Spotlight, Articles, Newport Architect Spotlight
Quaker Meeting House (c. 1699, Newport, RI) The double-hung window, characterized by two movable sashes that slide vertically, is one of the most common features of Western domestic architecture. While we often take their smooth, counterweighted glide for granted...
by Ross Cann AIA RA | Dec 29, 2025 | Architectural Design, Architectural Historian Spotlight, Articles, Newport Architect Spotlight
Medieval Casement Windows (England) For more than 500 years, windows have become one of the primary stylistic components of Western architecture. Long before the sliding sash windows of the Victorian era or the floor-to-ceiling glass of modern high-rises, the casement...
