by Eliel Alfon, AIA | Design Principal, Hughes Group Architects
Throughout history, architecture and art have been an integrated process. They have always been a communication tool for most civilized cultures. In a way, this allowed a building or structure to have deeper meaning beyond its intended function and purpose. Public art is cultural expression. Introduction of art in a public setting not only enriches the quality of the space, but it can reflect the soul of the community.
More »If you recently converted a seldom-used room into an office or your basement into a home theater, you already understand the upside of transforming unused spaces into productive areas that “work,” rather than sit idle.
Finding new ways to use existing spaces is a concept that has fueled the innovative, affordable housing solutions created by architect Ileana Schinder.
More »Writer and editorial consultant Margaret Hancock sat down with Lisa Reilly, Commonwealth Professor in Architectural History at the University of Virginia, to discuss the exhibition Skyscraper Gothic, currently on view at the Fralin Museum of Art.
More »There are some 90 museums in the United States and abroad covering individual aspects of the American Army, from its airborne and artillery divisions to general defense to the personal history of General George Patton, himself. The eighth to open in Virginia alone is the most comprehensive among them in terms of its permanent collection and scope, and its exhibitions program is varied to accommodate a variety of audiences. Yet, the new home for the National Museum of the United States Army, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and sitting at the head of 84 acres of land at Fort Belvoir, is entirely singular in its expression.
More »Breathless encomiums about Charlottesville’s renaissance over the past decade are easy to understand. There’s been lots of housing and commercial infill, especially along stretches of road between town and gown outposts. The county’s infrastructure projects ringing the city have started to address (but still not solve) the traffic congestion. The newly completed South Lawn and hospital complex expansion projects are marvels of civil engineering. The Rotunda recently reemerged after a multimillion-dollar renovation as a model of thoughtfulness and probity. In parts of town where tuition-paying parents might have a Coke and a burger, things are generally looking leafier and cleaner.
More »An exhibition featuring the 2021 AIA Virginia Prize competition entries is on view at Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory Art Center through Aug. 8, 2021.
More »Andrew Pressman’s third edition of “Professional Practice 101: A Compendium of Effective Business Strategies in Architecture” (released by Routledge in May of 2021) links design thinking directly to practice.
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