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.

Come visit these videos

[Today, I fly off for several days in my hometown, the District of Columbia. While I am away, instead of giving my blog a vacation, I will steal some old posts (all featuring videos) from my archives. Enjoy. Back next … Continue reading

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I-195 eastern front heats up

The I-195 Redevelopment District Commission hosted the latest skirmish in the war among three developers to win the commission’s approval to build on the east bank of the Providence River. I arrived at the public hearing but had to leave … Continue reading

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Bugs remember the Alamo

What would happen if giant insects from the future attacked an Alamo defended by the stars of the greatest westerns of Hollywood? We have an answer. Yeah! That’s what happens in “Far Alamo: Your Western Heroes vs. the Bugs from … Continue reading

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Village blog or baluster blog

The delightful LeveVeg blog – meaning “way of life” in Norwegian – replied to my recent expression of pleasure at the illustration on top of the Village Forum blog. It is a painting of a distant village, reproduced at the … Continue reading

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Fine wrinkles on Alexander

Some very interesting commenters have responded to my post “Chris Alexander’s cosmos.” The title of Alexander’s most celebrated book, A Pattern Language, spoke so directly in a mere three words to my nascent views on architecture long, long ago that … Continue reading

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Chris Alexander’s cosmos

Christopher Alexander has been an enigma to me for a long time. He is famous not just for his architectural theories but for his work in computer technology, and how its patterns resemble the patterns of biological life. Common/Edge, the … Continue reading

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Why 15 CPW makes moola

“Why Copies of 15 Central Park West Are Taking Over Manhattan,” by James Tarmy in Bloomberg Businessweek, exaggerates the phenomenon of a “takeover” and doesn’t even answer his own question. The answer is obvious: 15 Central Park West, designed by … Continue reading

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My Jane’s Walk this Saturday

My fourth Jane’s Walk tour of the waterfront along the Providence River takes place at 4 p.m. this Saturday, May 5. We will meet at the Crawford Street Bridge near Hemenways in the Rubik’s Cube and stroll north, heading west … Continue reading

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Partying with the Bulfinches

On Saturday evening the region’s classicists held a big bash at the Harvard Club of Boston, after two lectures by eminent classicists that morning and afternoon. The lectures will soon go onto the website of the New England chapter of … Continue reading

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Wee wow for Bauwauhauses

“Mutts-have: Architects create luxury kennels for charity auction” is the headline of this story by Guardian critic Oliver Wainwright. “Mutts-have”? … I’m sorry, that really does not cut the mustard. Mutts-have ≠ must-have. And if you glide down the complement of … Continue reading

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