Brian Marshall, Author at Niagara Now

Arch-i-text: Taking inventory of NOTL’s built heritage homes

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

Arch-i-text: 19th-century tiny homes – and NOTL development proposals

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

Arch-i-text: Our vernacular built heritage — the Hall & Parlour Folk House

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

Arch-i-text: Taking a page from the book of Saugeen Shores

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

Arch-i-text: An homage to the Greeks and one couple’s vision

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

Arch-i-text: Preserving our heritage, one house at a time

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

Arch-i-text: Real-life examples of ‘sympathetic design’ in communities

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

Arch-i-text: The what, why and wherefore of heritage designation

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

Arch-i-text: Our history lost – two more examples that make me wonder

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

Arch-i-text: Slow architecture and from whence it came

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

Arch-i-text: ‘Slow architecture’ vs. buildings ‘designed for the moment’

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

Arch-i-text: Affordable housing can fit in a community like NOTL

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

Arch-i-text: A call to action to protect NOTL’s built heritage, and more

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

Arch-i-text: Taking a road trip to explore Romanesque Revival

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,

Arch-i-text: How a reader’s query sent me on a special quest

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

Arch-i-text: Setting the record straight: Development is inevitable

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

Arch-i-text: Architecture can make or break a community. Here’s an example

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

Arch-i-text: Council must expand heritage district to protect town’s history

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

Arch-i-text: Repeating past mistakes for the benefit of a few

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

Arch-i-text: Retro is ‘in’ as mid-century modern has resurgence

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

Arch-i-text: Can a building be a work of art? Yes, but many simply are not

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

Arch-i-text: Big developments could be NOTL’s future if YOU don’t stand up

The impact of the passage of the Ford government’s Bill 23 has started already. Last week one of this column’s readers sent me an email link to a new real estate listing for

Arch-i-text: There is no historical evidence that Breakenridge owned slaves

A teacher selected a group of 10 students and instructed them one after another to whisper the sentence she gave the first child into the ear of the next and so on until

Arch-i-text: It’s up to the people to stop Ford’s steamroller

For the last two weeks I have written about the Ford government’s Bill 23, the so-called More Homes Built Faster Act. We examined the negative impacts this legislation will have on agriculture, environment,

Arch-i-text: Giving away the farm to benefit developers

I recall during one of my parents’ early 1960s cocktail parties overhearing my father state with great disdain that, in the Duplessis government’s Quebec, there was nothing that could not be obtained at

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