Category Archives: Architecture

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CONCRETE.

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Philip

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CONCRETE. It occurs to me that Brutalism, more than other architectural movements, depended on the material used rather than design elements. In writing yesterday’s post, I realized how significant the definition of Brutalism was. The name … Continue reading →

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THE REHABILITATION OF BRUTALISM?

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Philip

THE REHABILITATION OF BRUTALISM? Martin Filler, the architecture critic, reviewed eight new books about Brutalism in the New York Review (December 22) (link here via arts and letters daily). The books, he says, “indicate that the rehabilitation of yet another … Continue reading →

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“…LITTLE BOXES MADE OF TICKY TACKY….”

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Philip

“…LITTLE BOXES MADE OF TICKY TACKY….” I posted here about “Little Boxes”, a song from 1962 which attacked conformity. The “Little Boxes” were standardized houses which were poorly made. Here are the lyrics, whose first stanza was: “Little boxes on … Continue reading →

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A HISTORY OF THE RANCH HOUSE.

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Philip

A HISTORY OF THE RANCH HOUSE. Witold Rybcyzinski sketched a brief history of how Americans fell in and out of love with the ranch house in this article in Slate. I am always interested in changes that have occurred in … Continue reading →

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IS OUR HOUSE A MCMANSION?

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Philip

IS OUR HOUSE A MCMANSION? Annalisa once referred to our house as being “like a mcmansion”. Mary Jane responded instantly: “No, it has a sense of proportion.” I agree. The proportions do not make the house seem big. The house … Continue reading →

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RYBCZYNSKI ON MCMANSIONS

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Philip

RYBCZYNSKI ON MCMANSIONS. Witold Rybczynski in this Slate slide show focuses on two characteristics of mcmansions. First, bigness. “It isn’t just that they were big, like their namesake Big Macs; it’s that they celebrated bigness… Look at the house on … Continue reading →

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A BLOG ENTITLED “WORST OF MCMANSIONS”.

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Philip

A BLOG ENTITLED “WORST OF MCMANSIONS”. This article in the Daily Mail by Regina F. Graham calls attention to the “Worst of McMansions” blog, which is authored by “Kate”. Here is the link (the blog can be found at www.mcmansionhell.com). … Continue reading →

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CHICAGO—FIRST IN SKYSCRAPERS.

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Philip

CHICAGO—FIRST IN SKYSCRAPERS. The review—perhaps understandably because, after all, the book is about New York skyscrapers—asks “Why is Manhattan synonymous with skyscrapers?”. It then describes New York’s first skyscraper, the “11-storey” Tower Building on Broadway.as “a technological breakthrough”. The breakthrough … Continue reading →

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A MYTH ABOUT NEW YORK SKYSCRAPERS?

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Philip

A MYTH ABOUT NEW YORK SKYSCRAPERS? The Economist (August 20) had a review of Jason Barr’s BUILDING THE SKYLINE: THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF MANHATTAN’S SKYSCRAPERS which punctures a myth that I have been passing on to people for quite … Continue reading →

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HOW HEAVY IS A LARGE TREE?

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Philip

HOW HEAVY IS A LARGE TREE? I was astounded by the answer. For the answer, read to the end, where the answer is written in words. The Archaeology article tells how one of the difficulties of preserving what remains of … Continue reading →

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