Blogs & Editorials

Ornamental metals were used in several forms, but stamped sheet metal was a popular material for architectural exteriors and interiors from the 1870s through the 1920s.

Winners of the 2021 Acanthus Awards were announced at a ceremony hosted by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, Chicago-Midwest Chapter recently. There were nine awards given for excellence in classical design plus nine more recipients of the Chapter’s “Special Awards.”

Metalwork is far more than classical “ornament.”

Words can help us appreciate and understand buildings. Some of the most useful and common words come in pairs, but they are often used carelessly.

Introducing the 2021 John Russell Pope Awards.

The Building Technology Heritage Library is an open a door to Hardware History.

Is the backyard still a thing?

The following brochures, pamphlets, and catalogs explore how windows and glass evolved from the mid-19th through the mid-20th centuries.

Would Palladio have had one in his kitchen?

Individuals flourish when they contribute to the civil order that seeks a common good, and traditional and classical architecture is necessary to make an urbanism that serves such a civil order. It is, however, being undermined by an architectural profession that has no interest in the common good or its counterpart, the beautiful.

In the residential housing market, we have strong demand, weak supply, and chaotic work schedules due to the improvisations required by COVID-19 and supply chain disruption. How do you explain to a client that their new sofa cushions are on backorder due to the oil refinery hackers?

Underfoot: A catalog history of flooring.

Light switches and outlets are part of the architecture, too.

Traditional architecture uses imitation and invention to provide beauty as a complement to the general, public welfare, but the current history of architecture undermines that service.

According to a recent WALL STREET JOURNAL article, the residential real-estate market is having its best year since 2016. It’s a housing boom “ignited by the pandemic.”

Trimmed Out: Architectural millwork gives delight and character to American homes.

When it comes to the final touches, door hardware is key.

Virtual trade shows, conferences and online education are a new reality for old-time traditionalists in the traditional building practice. Most of us prefer the engagement and intimacy of in-person events but I haven’t been to one in over a year. Like the school kids attending virtual classes, our on-screen attention spans are getting short. Screen fatigue is a new occupational hazard.

The eyes we use to see will determine the world that reveals itself to us.

President Trump set out an Executive Order that calls for a Commission to suggest guidelines for restoring the beauty of traditional classicism in new federal buildings. A nonpartisan issue, President Biden should execute it immediately.

The remodeling market now exceeds $400 B. Home prices are up too, a projected 5.7% increase this year.

The APT Building Technology Heritage Library has a visual cornucopia of documents that tell the story or architectural ornament.

Leave the windows alone.

You're free to choose. You're responsible for your choices.