About.com Architecture

Is Your House Patriotic?

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0000

On July 4, folks in the United States celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, picnics, and parades. No matter where you live, the noisy summer holiday is a good time to enjoy the stately (and, yes, imitative) architecture that evolved in the American colonies.

Borrowed from Britain, the dignified Georgian Colonial style took America by storm, followed by elegant American Federalist architecture. And then, drive through nearly any suburban neighborhood in the USA, and you are certain to see row after row of Colonial Revival and Neocolonial homes.

^{Photo: Neocolonial House, Clipart.com}

Born on July 3: Robert Adam

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0000

If you enjoy refined, dignified Adam homes, then you can thank the Scottish-born architect who inspired the style. Born in in 1728, Robert Adam and his brothers built many fine country homes in England. They paid attention to every detail, designing the furniture as well as the houses.

Robert Adam traveled to Italy and fell in love with classical, especially Roman, design. Robert Adam revolutionized English domestic architecture when he incorporated Roman refinements into austere Georgian style buildings.

Interestingly, the architectural ideas of Robert Adam flourished in New England after America declared its independence from Britain. Federal style buildings like the one shown here imitated the popular English homes Adam designed.

^{Image � 2000 ArtToday.com}

From Shotgun to Modgun

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:18 +0000

Those simple shotgun houses of New Orleans never looked so good. Urban planner Robert Tannen and architect Frank Gehry joined forces to create a new type of shotgun: the Modgun.

No glittering stips of twisted metal here! A Modgun combines down-to-earth shotgun functionality with modular construction techniques.

More:

Frank Gehry's Rx for New Orleans, in Fast Company
Modgun: Affordable, Sustainable, Compatible, in LiveGreenOrleans.com

Celebrating Canada

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:00:25 +0000

July 1 is Canada Day, a time to celebrate all things Canadian. Top on my list? The soaring CN Tower in Toronto. Any way you measure it, the CN Tower is a remarkable structure and, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, a Wonder of the Modern World.

_{CN Tower Photo � Bill Wrigley / Getty Images}

Born on June 30: Dominikus Zimmerman

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 +0000

German architect Dominikus Zimmerman (1685 - 1766) spent his life designing rural churches in the exuberant Bavarian Rococo style. Zimmerman's masterpeice is the lavish Wies Pilgrimage Church (Wieskirche), which he created with his brother Johann Baptist, who was a fresco master.

_{Photo: The Wieskirche, or the Pilgrimage Church of the Scourged Saviour, close to the town of Steingaden in Bavaria. � Flickr Member "Froutes"}

Got Trash?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:00:42 +0000

Confession: I used to dive in dumpsters. That was the only way I knew to find old doors, discarded light fixtures, and other construction debris. Then an architectural salvage center opened in my town. Wow! Here was everything, from antique doorknobs to stained glass windows. My favorite find? A marble fireplace mantel, rescued from a demolished law library.

Have you ever used architectural salvage? Tell us about your favorite find.

The Easiest Way to Draw Floor Plans

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:00:22 +0000

A good home design software program will let you create some pretty fancy renderings with elevation drawings and 3D views. But, what if all you really want is a basic floor plan? Do you really need a high-powered software just to draw shapes and lines?

Absolutely not! A variety of easy online tools will let you draw scale drawings to help with your remodeling and decorating projects. Most are free!

Born on June 25: Antoni Gaud�

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:00:00 +0000

With undulating, dream-like buildings, Spanish architect Antoni Gaud� pushed at the boundaries of reality. He was born on June 25, 1852, and died in 1926 after being run over by a tram. Because he was poorly dressed, Gaud� was not recognized. Taxi drivers refused to take the "vagabond" to the hospital.

See buildings by Antoni Gaud�.

^{Casa Mil� Barcelona photo � Dainis Derics/iStockPhoto.com}

What Color Is It?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:37 +0000

Question:
"My husband and I are building a traditional center chimney cape. We are choosing our exterior paint colors. Could you tell us which brand and paint number is on this house?"

Answer:
It's a lovely color combination, isn't it? But, of course, computer monitors aren't precise in the way they display colors. Even if we knew the paint brand and color name, the paint color would not exactly match what you're seeing on your monitor.

Not to worry. If you browse through paint color charts, you will be able to find a match very similar to the house you admire. Hint: Look at color charts for off-white, ivory, cream, and buff colors.

Once you've found a color you like, ask your local paint or home improvement store to mix that color in your favorite paint brand. Just about any brand can match any color. Be sure to try a sample of the paint before purchasing a large quantity. Also, consider using easy, free House Color Visualization Software to view color choices on your house.

_{Shown above: A bright red door adds a welcoming touch to a traditional Cape Cod home in New Hampshire, USA. Photo @ Jackie Craven}

It's a Bauhaus Year

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:24 +0000

This year Germany is pulling out all stops to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the famous Bauhaus school. Founded in Weimar, Germany in 1919, the Bauhaus revolutionized the way we think about architecture and design, leading to functional, streamlined buildings stripped of ornamentation and excess. Germany is marking the Bauhaus birthday with special exhibitions, tours, lectures, and other events.

More: