Newport Architecture Blog
The Phases of an 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 steps of the design process? The first step of...
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 and guide the design. Your architect will be tasked with managing space and...
How to Choose an Architect
In previous blogs, ArchiTEXT has 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 are many things that you might want to find in an...
Climate Change Impacts in Newport
Nowhere is the adage “Think Globally, Act Locally” more pertinent than in the area of global climate change. Since the recent election of Joseph Biden as President on January 20th, there have been a series of events in Newport that have reinforced this. On January...
The History of Becoming an Architect
Until the late nineteenth century, people (nearly exclusively men) became architects through apprenticeships and practice. Like most crafts, one began as an “Apprentice,” graduated to “Journeyman,” and then late in life, if one worked hard and had sufficient talent, a...
The Architectural Work of Peter Harrison in Newport, Rhode Island
Among the many great architects who have worked in Newport, RI over the years, Peter Harrison (1716-1775) is often considered the first “true architect,” not only in Newport, but in the American colonies. There were accomplished architect-builders (like Richard...
8 Things A Contractor Will Not Tell A Customer
Everyone lives in a house or 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...
Richard Munday in Newport
Before there were architects in America, there were the great Architect-Builders. These were men who had developed drafting and building skills simultaneously through their careers and were able to apply them to the art and science of construction. Among the great...
McKim, Mead & White in Newport
Of all the many prolific and nationally recognized architects to work in Newport, Rhode Island, none have been more nationally recognized or more prolific with their designs than the firm of McKim, Mead & White. This firm was founded in New York originally as...
Richard Morris Hunt and Newport
Richard Morris Hunt, one of the most noteworthy architects of the last half of the 19th Century, had a strong and long affiliation with Newport. He met his wife, the heiress Catherine Howland, in Newport in 1860. He had an artist’s studio here as did his famous...
The Power of Place
Winston Churchill once observed, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” He made this statement in the midst of World War II to the House of Lords calling for the rebuilding of the House of Commons to the same high standard of design and construction...
A Short History of Building Energy Distribution
With the recent power outage in downtown Newport on November 30, we were all reminded of just how dependent most of us have become on electricity, the Internet, and the Artificial Intelligence available through computerized search tools. As we move as a city, state,...