Author Archives: David Brussat

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About David Brussat

This blog was begun in 2009 as a feature of the Providence Journal, where I was on the editorial board and wrote a weekly column of architecture criticism for three decades. Architecture Here and There fights the style wars for classical architecture and against modern architecture, no holds barred. History Press asked me to write and in August 2017 published my first book, "Lost Providence." I am now writing my second book. My freelance writing on architecture and other topics addresses issues of design and culture locally and globally. I am a member of the board of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which bestowed an Arthur Ross Award on me in 2002. I work from Providence, R.I., where I live with my wife Victoria, my son Billy and our cat Gato. If you would like to employ my writing and editing to improve your work, please email me at my consultancy, dbrussat@gmail.com, or call 401.351.0457. Testimonial: "Your work is so wonderful - you now enter my mind and write what I would have written." - Nikos Salingaros, mathematician at the University of Texas, architectural theorist and author of many books.

Our buildings, our selves

Ann Sussman, author with Justin Hollander of Cognitive Architecture, has an article in Planning magazine, “Planning for the Subconscious,” that suggests that the millennia-long evolution of how we shape buildings and places placates the inner urges of our minds and … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Development, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The “Brutalist” website fad

The Washington Post reports that “The hottest trend in Web design is making intentionally ugly, difficult websites.”  The article by Katherine Acrement states: Look at Hacker News. Pinboard. The Drudge Report. Adult Swim. Bloomberg Businessweek features. All of these sites … Continue reading

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Providence PVDfest today!

We adventured into downtown Providence late this afternoon for PVDfest, the city’s second annual international arts festival (last year’s shindig was the Providence International Arts Festival – deemed too big a mouthful). Day was grayish but without any seeming threat … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Landscape Architecture, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Degrading Paris newsstands

My correspondent in Paris, Mary Campbell Gallagher, warns that its mayor, Anne Hidalgo, wants to replace the city’s historic newsstands with a new version of greater spaciousness but lesser gloire. In its relative mildness, this initiative seems to contradict almost … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Other countries, Preservation, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Palladio Awards of 2016

The Palladio Awards may not get the attention of the Driehaus Prize, which does not get the attention of the Pritzker Prize. But the Palladios are the first and only national architecture award that recognizes specific traditional projects and their … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The architecture of burglary

I’ve been wanting to read A Burglar’s Guide to the City, by Geoff Manaugh, whose fascinating blog BLDGBLOG has recently infatuated me. Here is something he recently said to Ellen Gamerman of the Wall Street Journal for “The Dying Art … Continue reading

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Shubow’s fine Bulfinch talk

Justin Shubow’s recent talk in Boston, the first annual Bulfinch Awards Lecture, was delivered in the afternoon before that evening’s gala, thrown by the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art to celebrate the eight Bulfinch … Continue reading

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How to keep Portland weird

Portland, Ore., is a city so satisfied with itself that it can afford to enjoy a TV show, Portlandia, that makes fun of its foibles. And of course, foibles are easily fobbed off. They are not actual problems. Most cities … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Humor, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Shots of first full WaterFire

Last night was the first full WaterFire of the season here in Providence. I generally visit rather late, when the crowds have drawn down and parking is easy, well, easier. The lead-off photo above, taken by WaterFire volunteer photographer Jim … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Development, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Photos of downtown Boston

I was in Boston’s Financial District last Wednesday to attend a board meeting of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which met not, as usual, at the College Club on Commonwealth – no dearth of photo opportunities around there! … Continue reading

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