by Architectural Observer | Nov 21, 2016 | Blog, Observations
Every once in a while I run across an interesting example of well-designed door hardware from the mid-20th century. There used to be more, of course, but our culture’s obsession with making everything new again has relegated a lot of it to the landfill or...
by Architectural Observer | Nov 21, 2016 | Blog, Observations
I’ve yet to see a replacement siding installation which was without at least some undesirable side effects. The house shown below fared far better than most do when subjected to a “maintenance-free” (ha!) future; the homeowner and/or the installer...
by Architectural Observer | Nov 19, 2016 | Blog, Observations
Houston, Texas, is a fascinating place. Famous for its casual zoning laws, the city has an insatiable appetite for redevelopment and reinvents itself at a seemingly constant pace. In scenes that have been repeated time and again for more than a half century, quiet...
by Architectural Observer | Nov 17, 2016 | Blog, Observations
Architecture and the landscape it inhabits will forever be intertwined. While new construction often rises in a barren landscape, historic structures generally have become more integrated with their natural surroundings. Trees are especially crucial to...
by Architectural Observer | Nov 17, 2016 | Blog, Observations
Looking like something straight out of a television program about house flipping, this former authentic Craftsman-style house has been reduced to a caricature of itself as the following “before” and “after” photos illustrate. In the...
by Architectural Observer | Nov 15, 2016 | Blog, Drag Queen Architecture
Some remodelings are more exhaustive than others. This structure, for example, was re-imagined somewhere in the past, likely the early 1970’s. The then-popular mansard roof was used as a device to completely conceal the second story while stucco, diamond-paned...
