A4 Architecture Blog
A4 Project Spotlight: Barrington Ranch House
Design magazines like to show aspirational projects that were built on empty sites with large budgets and lots of time to design and build. There is nothing wrong with such projects, but they are the exception rather than the rule. These projects are the architectural...
A4 Guide: Finding the Right Builder
In previous Archi-TEXTs, there have been discussions on how to choose the right architect for your project and how to work with them to choose the right design for your new building or renovation. This article will address the different factors you should consider in...
A4 Guide: Construction Documents
In past Archi-TEXT articles, it has been discussed that one of the prime contributions an architect can make to a project and the key determinate of how successfully the construction project will go is the quality and completeness of the construction documentation....
A4 Guide: Phases of the 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 phases of the architectural design process? The...
A4 Guide: 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 a design and guide it. Your architect will be tasked with managing space and...
A4 Guide: How to Choose an Architect
In previous blogs, Archi-TEXT 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...
A4 Guide: 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 of the United States on January 20th, there have been a series of events in Newport that have reinforced...
A4 Guide: Becoming an Architect
Until the late nineteenth century, the process of becoming an architect was through apprenticeships and practice, and nearly exclusively for men. Like most crafts, one began as an “Apprentice,” graduated to “Journeyman,” and then late in life, if one worked hard and...
Newport Architect Spotlight: Peter Harrison
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...
A4 Guide: Things A Contractor Will Not Tell You
Everyone lives in a house or an 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...
Newport Architect Spotlight: Richard Munday
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...
Newport Architect Spotlight: McKim, Mead & White
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...