Tag Archives: classicism

“Conundrum of architecture”

Posted on November 4, 2021 by David Brussat

Below is a long guest post written by Scottish architecture critic David Black, who lives in Edinburgh. Written in light of controversies in the United States over former President Trump’s effort to align the styles of federal architecture with American … Continue reading →

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Bring diversity to fed design

Posted on February 9, 2020 by David Brussat

A provocative debate has broken out over a draft proposal to return classical design to the heart of federal architecture, especially in our nation’s capital. The title of the draft executive order, “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again,” leads with its … Continue reading →

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Sir Roger Scruton, RIP

Posted on January 12, 2020 by David Brussat

Death took Roger Scruton today. He was the world’s deepest thinker on architecture and aesthetics, which were embedded in the conservatism of his broader philosophy. Scruton embraced tradition, holding that “the tried and true” are a stronger foundation than novelty … Continue reading →

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The stately capitol of R.I.

Posted on September 1, 2019 by David Brussat

In whole or in part, the design of the Rhode Island State House (1901) can be read at many levels, directly or intuitively. The volutes of the Ionic capitals on the four cupolas, or tourelles, surrounding the dome suggest the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Providence | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Scrawl from the wreckage

Posted on May 25, 2018 by David Brussat

One of the most erudite puns on record is the title, “Scrawling From the Wreckage,” of a blog from Ireland (known for its literary power) by Hugh Kavanagh, an archaeological  surveyor who specializes in built heritage. Two years ago, I … Continue reading →

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What next? Jefferson? D.C.?

Posted on August 15, 2017 by David Brussat

The statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville should not be pulled down. Or rather, I should prefer that it not be pulled down. There’s a difference. To eradicate every symbol of every political or cultural wrong in this or … Continue reading →

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Rome’s exaltation explained

Posted on January 6, 2016 by David Brussat

I’ve always been intrigued by Rome – which I visited in 1990 – not just by its extraordinarily beauty and its ruins, but by the story of how its ancient leaders conceived the city as a crescendo of classicism in … Continue reading →

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

Lovely house on N.J. coast

Posted on December 22, 2015 by David Brussat

David Rau has sent to TradArch his sketch of a house he has designed along the intercoastal waterway of New Jersey. I am assuming that the grayed-out structures to the left and the rear are the neighbors of the eventual … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Disposable Architecture”

Posted on May 27, 2015 by David Brussat

Architect Jenny Bevan, of the Charleston firm Bevan & Liberatos, gave a TED talk called “Our Disposable Architecture” in that fair city on Tuesday. She spoke about sustainability in architecture, essentially pointing out that whatever you may think of this … Continue reading →

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Doric column on ArchiCAD

Posted on April 2, 2015 by David Brussat

I suppose that while everyone is discussing Le Corbusier, it may not be inappropriate to discuss in this corner another arguably deplorable machine, computer-aided design (CAD). John Margolis, the recently resigned president of the ICAA’s New England chapter who moved … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Art and design, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments