Residential Design + Build

SEP-OCT 2012

Residential Design + Build provides architects, designers and builders of custom homes with the information they need to create high-end custom homes.

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Å When not designing custom homes like this, the team at A4 Architecture in Newport, R.I. is educating the community about architecture. Vincent Scully, a noted architectural histo- rian at Yale College. Upon visiting the com- munity many years after earning architec- tural degrees at Yale, Cambridge and Columbia Universities, he was struck by two things: pleasure that so many of the build- ings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries were still standing, and concern that so many of them were in poor condition. I n response, Cann undertook an intercon- nected, three-part program to extend knowledge about the architecture of Newport to the public at large. First, he founded the Newport Architectural Forum, a community group which hosts monthly lectures, tours, exhibitions, film screenings, panel discussions and other events on the subjects of architecture, planning or inte- rior and landscape design. Secondly, he introduced a biweekly col- umn called Architext to the local newspaper on the same or similar subjects the forum addresses. Thirdly, for those in the commu- nity with a deeper interest in the subject of local architecture, he organized a survey course at the Newport Art Museum titled, "The Evolution of American Architecture, as Seen Through the Lens of Newport, R.I." Goals of the forum include stimulating an understanding and appreciation of archi- tecture in the broader community, and edu- 16 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2 cating people about the value of design and the essence of what brings quality and authenticity to architecture. "So much of the challenge is conveying why spending more money on design will have a long-term payoff in functionality, enjoyment and even- tual resale value," Cann says. "Rather than trying to create that understanding after we've been hired, our thought was if we could stimulate that understanding in the populace, by the time a client gets to us they'll be halfway up that learning ladder, and maybe we could build something that will stand the test of time." The forum is flourishing, adding mem- bers and fresh activities each year. "Not everybody attends each monthly session. The average member comes to three or four events a year. Over time this helps to create a clearer sense of why architecture has meaning," Cann says. A t $20 for annual membership, making money clearly isn't one of the forum's goals. However, members receive discounts to other local architectural fund-raising events where the real money is made, which helps fund the restoration of Newport's many archi- tectural treasures. Cann believes, "All architects, designers Ç Ross Cann, AIA, owner of A4 Architecture in Newport, R.I., launched the Newport Architectural Forum with the goal of educating the community about historical architecture, and trying to preserve it for future generations to enjoy. and contractors have an unspoken responsibil- ity to be part of the education process of their communities. Only through these means will we drive clients in a positive direction toward understanding and appreciating the designs we're trying to create. It's a call to action and it's working well here." ■ r e si d e n t ia l d e si gn + b u i l d F o r R e si d e n t ia l P r o s . c o m

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