Brian Marshall, Author at Niagara Now

Arch-i-text: A stroll around Queenston

Having strolled the streets in the village last week, let’s take a look at some of the residences along the Niagara River Parkway and York Road in the vicinity of Queenston. We’ll begin with

Arch-i-text: Heritage treasures in Queenston

Queenston was not always the quiet little village we’re familiar with today. Settled principally by Loyalists in the last quarter of the 1700s, it served as the northern terminus for the overland transportation

Arch-i-text: Another casualty?

My original intent for this week’s column was to continue the “walk-around series” I had begun with Virgil, shifting it over to the village of Queenston. In fact, on the weekend, I drove

Arch-i-text: Out and about around Virgil

Last week’s column suggested that other survivors of Virgil’s built heritage could be found off Niagara Stone Road. Following up on this, let’s visit a few of these historic homes. We begin by

Arch-i-text: Take a little walk in Virgil

The subject of last week’s column centred around Virgil and highlighted a couple of houses lost from the heritage of that village. I went on to suggest there were historic “survivors” still standing. To

Arch-i-text: There’s a lesson here

When thinking of Niagara-on-the-Lake many people focus on historic Old Town as the “jewel in the crown” while consigning the majority of the jurisdiction to a distant also-ran status. This is nothing new. In

Arch-i-text: How we got here

Towns evolve over time and their architecture (both residential and commercial) tends to reflect, in part, the cycles of changing economic conditions. During boom periods, larger, more impressive buildings were constructed. But when the

Arch-i-text: Understanding New Traditional design

In several of my past columns, most recently in my series on infill builds, I referred to the New Traditional school of design. However, I have really not elaborated on the approach this

Arch-i-text: Ghosts and the loss of heritage buildings

There is no question that the War of 1812 destroyed much of the town’s original built architecture. Many fine buildings were put to the torch and burned to the ground. Imagine if Robert Kerr’s

FUTURE VISION: Part 2: Old hospital could be reimagined as a multi-use ‘live-work’ facility

Why is it that Canadians must always attempt to put everything into nice, neat little boxes? The need to categorize seems to be part of our national condition. Unfortunately, this predilection limits our

Arch-i-text: Fire and its history of destruction

Over the course of history, I suspect fire has destroyed more human-built structures than any other calamity. One would think, with the advances in building technology that our species may have focused more

Arch-i-text: It’s all in the details

I'm the first one to admit I’m OCD about realizing the finest expression of a heritage building which, typically, is how it would have appeared when first completed. I think the goal of

Arch-i-text: Infill design and privacy

In last week’s column we reviewed a number of considerations related to context being fundamental in developing good residential infill design. Height, massing, topography, setback patterning, establishing open space and preserving lines of

Arch-i-text: A checklist for infill design

So you’d like to build a dream house as an infill within an established neighbourhood. Where do you start? It should not begin with acquiring a lot, unless, of course, you are completely open

Arch-i-Text: My favourite architectural style

During my speaking engagements on Canadian architecture, one of the questions I’m most often asked is, “Do you have a favourite architectural style?” Although I usually attempt to reply that I appreciate virtually

Arch-i-text: The road forward on development

Over the last two weeks, this column has raised the issue of managing Niagara-on-the-Lake’s development and the role of design review guidelines. For those who suggest that guidelines might not be acceptable under

Arch-i-text: NOTL needs to institute design guidelines

Distinct from zoning bylaws, secondary plans or etc., design guidelines speak specifically to criteria used to ensure any contemplated alteration to the landscape (either built and/or natural) of a particular jurisdiction maintains or

Arch-i-text: NOTL must take control of development

On the morning of Canada Day I visited with some folks in Old Town. They live in what appears to be a modest 1920s bungalow, however, passing the threshold I was gobsmacked by an

Arch-i-text: Parliament Oak questions

This afternoon I parked beside the old Parliament Oak school property and walked the block imagining the development as proposed by the owners, Liberty Sites Ltd., when completed. What would be the impact

Arch-i-text: Niagara’s ‘help houses’

The mechanization and consolidation of Canada’s fruit and vegetable industry at the end of the 19th century transformed the farms and canneries of Niagara. Where earlier farms were typically operated by the farm

Arch-i-text: Signalling Contemporary

It’s post-war North America and the housing boom is in full swing. Subdivisions of Victory Houses (minimal traditional) geared to the returning rank-and-file veterans are popping up like mushrooms. For those who are

Arch-i-text: Knowing your roof

When identifying the architectural style of a home, the type of roof is often a vital clue. So, let’s consider some of the most common roof styles. We’ll begin with the gable roof,

Arch-i-text: Something else is missing

First as a visitor and then as a resident, I have been driving the roads of Niagara-on-the-Lake for nearly 50 years. From the beginning I was entranced by a town that had not followed

Arch-i-text: Evolution of the bungalow

For more than two decades in the mid-20th century, the Ranch bungalow had reigned supreme as the architectural style of choice. The sprawling single-storey design with its inside/outside entertaining transitions was ideally suited

Arch-i-text: Something’s missing

It seemed that each time my father was promoted up the corporate ladder, the new position came with a relocation. In fact, our family lived in four different houses before I reached the

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