Newport Architecture Blog
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,...
The Image of the Architect
If architecture is the materialization of finance, technology, and zeitgeist into the structures that first serve then later represent each era then what is the proper image of “The Architect” through whom all these complexities must be filtered. When one does a...
Origin of Beauty and Proportion in Architecture
Since the dawn of time, mankind has sought to instill beauty into their architecture. The ancient Greeks built their villas and temples with mathematical precision. The Romans adopted the same forms and continued to enhance and refine them over time. The first known...
A History of Public Schools in Newport
Although we have come to take for granted in the United States that all children will receive a public education, this was not always the case. Education during the Colonial era was a prized and valuable asset that was generally only available to the wealthy. Most...
Newport School Buildings
The current Rogers High School building is actually the third building to carry this name. The first was built on Church Street in 1873. The second was built on Broadway in 1905 and is now part of the Thompson Middle School. The third was built on Wickham Road. With...
A Short History of Newport Zoning
Architecture has been with us since the dawn of mankind. Zoning, which is the societal prescription of what can and cannot be built in a particular location, is barely 100 years old in the United States. The earliest zoning laws were the Los Angeles Ordinances of...