I live in the southwest, and my favorite building type here is ADOBE. Adobe, Spanish for mudbrick. Adobe bricks are easy to make, and easy to construct with. They are durable, yet biodegradable. As a structure, they are largely fireproof and water resistant, offer excellent thermal efficiency and low sound transmission levels. There are so…
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Hello from sunny Tucson! Our family has officially been Tucsonians for two years, and what a busy busy two years it has been. I have been working part time as an architectural historian, and spend a good deal of time exploring the city with my sassy silly twins. After almost two and a half years,…
Read MoreLast spring, before the final mad rush to finish my thesis, my spouse quietly shut my laptop, took away my books and took me to Paris for a week. It is hard to say if it was for my sake, or an act of self preservation on his behalf. But I have to tell you,…
Read MoreIt is impossible to talk about modern Verona without include the city’s most famous couple, the eternally young Romeo and Juliet. The story of the Montagues and the Capulets has almost universal appeal, because of the enduring story of young love, generational disconnect and political strife. When Shakespeare chose to bring Romeo and Giulietta to…
Read MoreDedicated in 80 AD, the amphitheater could hold between 40,000 and 70,000 spectators, depending on how friendly everyone in the audience got with one another. The History Channel has a neat and short video illustrating the size. As a place of public entertainment, the Colossuem is a study in the paradoxical nature of Roman…
Read MoreI recently made a weekend trip solo down to Rome. It was an adventure, complete with getting off at the wrong train station, missing my connection, being taxied to the wrong hotel and at one point getting my backpack stuck in the door of the train. I really should not be let out alone. Since…
Read MoreThe Palazzo Comunale of San Daniele has seen multiple additions and restorations. The 15th century building began in 1415 received its first addition in 1580, when the the large sala consiliare (council chamber) was constructed over the loggia. The room is of a befittingly grand height with a great wood paneled ceiling. The third story at…
Read MoreThe commune of San Daniele del Friuli is most famous for one thing- prosciutto. Ham is a serious business for San Daniele, and from the displays at the Museo del Territorio to a tour of the Prosciutteries to dinner at any one of the many restaurants serving up prosciutto, San Daniele has a long history,…
Read MoreYou enter the Old State House by way of the court room. It is a grand entrance, framed by the freestanding geometrical staircase designed by John Howe in 1791. From this vantage, one can see the efforts of the extensive restoration. If you look closely, you will notice that three of the four columns are…
Read MoreMuch like the English quartet, even Stone Roses age. Especially those made of sandstone on the exterior of a building. Common in historic structures, sandstone is both easy to quarry and carve, which made it an extremely popular building material in the 19th century. However, it is also quite fragile and weathers poorly. A note…
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