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.

On Coalition Radio again

Your roving correspondent has been asked to appear on WPRO’s Coaltion Radio once again this Saturday at 6 p.m. Also scheduled to appear is Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebian. Two weeks ago, in my first appearance on PRO (which you can … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Development | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

King of the wild vocabulary

Davy Crockett: There is times that come upon us like a whirlwind and an airthquake; they are come like a catamount on the full jump! We are called upon to show our grit like a chain lightning agin a pine … Continue reading

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Let Tiverton be Tiverton

A very large retail and residential development proposed for Tiverton by the Carpionato Group has advanced through several stages of town review and approval without, so far as I can find online, any indication of what the place would look … Continue reading

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

At cross purposes in R.I

What is wrong with this picture? The Providence Journal published a front-page story, “R.I. pursues the perfect pitch.” State officials seek a “‘top notch’ marketing team to set Rhode Island apart, encourage more visitors and convince people that the Ocean … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Providence, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A high-rise schimflexicon

H.L. Mencken assembled and published Menckeniana: A Schimflexicon, in which he collected all the abuse of his writing that he could find, mostly from newspaper reviews of his books. I have set myself a much easier but less amusing task … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Art and design, Books and Culture, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Providence’s own High Line

Providence’s new linear park, named for East Bay Bike Path founder George Redman (“Not a politician,” quoth Greater City Providence), opened in time for yesterday’s July Fourth fireworks. We drove to East Providence over the Washington Bridge, built in 1931, … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Landscape Architecture, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The independence of music

Not long ago, a few soft bars into Ravel’s Bolero, conductor Larry Rachleff of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, presiding at Veterans Memorial Auditorium – in the shadow of the Rhode Island State House designed by Charles Follen McKim – stopped … Continue reading

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Housing the founding fathers

Here are some sketches of the houses of the founding fathers. George Washington’s Mount Vernon occupies, of course, pride of place. Benjamin Franklin’s house does not remain, alas, not unlike houses of some of the other founders, but at least … Continue reading

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Monopoly, Hasbro, P’tucket

Now that the film Monopoly has been announced by the game’s owner, Hasbro, headquartered in Pawtucket, R.I., one can imagine where it might be shot. Of course, the street names that make up the most memorable aspect of the game … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Book/Film Reviews, Humor, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Love, beauty, architecture

Steve Mouzon, an architect in Miami, has been the strongest advocate for years of lovability in architecture. He correctly sees lovability is a crucial factor in the creation of a living environment, and in assuring that people care for it … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture Education, Art and design | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments