About three years ago, a young lady of my acquaintance purchased an old house in St. Catharines’ Yates Street Heritage District. She contacted me asking for some advice relative to rehabilitating the sadly
It should come as no surprise to the folks who regularly read this column that I am not a fan of the standard car-centric development model which creates isolated islands of cookie-cutter dwellings
I have never made it a secret that I love to incorporate curves into my designs. The correct juxtaposition of curves against straight lines creates a visual tension which is at once graceful
Recently, I found it necessary to acquire a large number of lights – various styles of bulbs and fixtures – for one of my projects. I had LED units but unfortunately, didn’t anticipate
For nearly five decades, my partner and beloved wife has been my muse, my inspiration and my grounding influence. It is due to her providing a “court of sober second thought” that some
We looked at the local expression of the Hall & Parlour Folk House in last week’s column and I promised we’d dig a little deeper into our vernacular built heritage. So, let’s take
I make no bones about the fact that, when it comes to architectural design, my preference lies with the discipline of the “high” styles. Bluntly, meeting the formalized requirements and established parameters of
As a member of the Architectural Conservancy Ontario, I receive a monthly electronic newsletter. While the pieces are often engaging, it’s the section which highlights and provides links to articles published by various
During the 18th century in Europe, the scions of wealthy families would embark on what came to be referred to as a “Grand Tour,” a tour of classical historic locales to “expand their
A bonus in writing this column has been the bridges it has built to wonderful folks who live in this community. Many individuals have reached out to me to share stories and experiences
For most folks, the term “sympathetic design” in architecture is both vague and confusing. So I thought we’d take the time to loosely put some arms around it. Without going into too much
For its size and population, Niagara-on-the-Lake has a tremendous wealth of historic houses that pre-date 1925. Still, despite this treasure trove, comparatively few of these residences have been heritage designated. Before we ask
There is no doubt that I am obsessive-compulsive. In the past, when engaged in a particular project or research, it was not uncommon for me to sit down in my office and
Last week in this column we opened a window onto the slow movement and the architecture that has been enfolded under its banner. That article closed with the suggestion that the core tenets
Back in 1986, the fast-food giant McDonald’s opened a new outlet close to the Spanish Steps in Rome. To say that McDonald’s got pushback from the citizens of that city (and Italy in
There is something fundamentally askew when only those of means can live in a town. For example, a place where there are no starter homes for the younger generation (who may have grown
Just what is it that makes Niagara-on-the-Lake unique among Ontario communities? What is it that draws some 3.5 million visitors to this one little town every year? Some may point to the wineries
My wife and I decided to visit a recently opened storefront in Vineland which offers sauces, jams, relishes, etc. made principally from produce grown on the owner’s 53-acre farm. The shop, Cultivate Niagara,
From time to time I am fortunate enough to have readers of this column contact me. Last week, this occurred on several occasions and I’d like to thank folks who have taken time
In a recent conversation, I apparently surprised some folks by defending a developer. Apparently, as I was told, I am perceived as being firmly in the anti-development camp and generally seen as holding
My wife and I moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2015. We came here because NOTL offered us an opportunity to reclaim the small-town lifestyle we had enjoyed for many years in King City prior
I have always found it odd that the boundaries of Old Town’s national historic district are substantially different than those of the provincially registered Queen-Picton heritage conservation district. The national historic district encompasses
To say that I am not a fan of the Ford government’s More Homes Built Faster Act (Bill 23) is akin to suggesting that Mount Everest is a tall hill. In fact, I
Over the past few years there has been a resurgence in the popularity of mid-century modern design, but what exactly is that? Well, similar to the term “Victorian,” which groups together several architectural
Is architecture art? The majority opinion among experts is that painting, sculpting and architecture are the three branches of visual arts. Architecture has long been considered one of the “high arts,” with fine
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