Tag Archives: Steven Semes

Providence lost, regained II

Posted on April 3, 2023 by David Brussat

Editor’s note: This is the second of several sections of the epilogue to Lost Providence, first published in 2017. Further sections are upcoming soon. *** The Rhode Island School of Design offered its services [a decade ago] to assist the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Lost Providence | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

After Biden nix Trump E.O.

Posted on March 5, 2021 by David Brussat

Architecture is a huge field of human endeavor. Along with the planning of cities and towns, and the arts and crafts that enter into civic beauty, it forms the stage on which the human comedy is performed. For millennia, our … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Amend GSA’s guidelines?

Posted on July 31, 2020 by David Brussat

After February’s leak of the draft executive order to prefer traditional design for federal architecture, many architects, including some classicists, worried that classicism would be hurt by any proposal linked to President Trump. Now, on the heels of a congressional … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Duo vs. the “style wars”

Posted on May 11, 2020 by David Brussat

Maybe I am a rascal, or maybe I’m going batty in coronaprison, or maybe I would really just like to foster an amicable agreement, among architects, that an architecture that worked for thousands of years is preferable to – and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

TB blog: “Making Dystopia”

Posted on September 12, 2018 by David Brussat

Here is my Traditional Building blog post from last month, shortly after I received a review copy of Making Dystopia. *** I’ve only just received a review copy of Making Dystopia: The Strange Rise and Survival of Architectural Barbarism, by … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Preservation in Newport

Posted on August 22, 2018 by David Brussat

Preservationists have a vital but relatively simple job that has been made more difficult, over the years, by preservationists. The purpose of preserving a historic building is to sustain the beauty it brings to its setting. How to do this … Continue reading →

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Semes in Newport Thursday

Posted on August 15, 2018 by David Brussat

Steven Semes will be speaking at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, at the Redwood Athenaeum & Library about various fascinating matters which, while international in scope, are of interest not just to preservationists but to those interested in architecture in Newport. … Continue reading →

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Steven Semes in Newport

Posted on August 4, 2018 by David Brussat

The Redwood Library & Athenaeum will host a lecture by preservationist Steven Semes on Thursday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m. Semes will discuss preservation news from around the world, partly about conventional misinterpretations of international preservation treaties, charters, texts and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Preservationists’ progress

Posted on May 27, 2018 by David Brussat

It is no coincidence that Hugh Cavanagh’s blog from Ireland, “Scrawling from the Wreckage,” lands on this blog just as Steven Semes, dean of historic preservation at Notre Dame’s school of architecture, has updated progress toward common sense in preservationist … Continue reading →

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

Fine wrinkles on Alexander

Posted on May 6, 2018 by David Brussat

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 →

Posted in Architecture, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments