What is this blog about?

"Hello, my name is John. I'm a recovering architect."

I like all sorts of towns, cities and buildings, but what I design are Classical buildings and Traditional cities. You can see some of them at architect.massengale.com.

With Robert A.M. Stern I wrote a history of architecture and urbanism in the Progressive Era, New York 1900, Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism 1890–1915 (Rizzoli, 1983) as well as an introduction to the history of suburbia before sprawl, The Anglo–American Suburb (St. Martin's Press, 1981). I have a grant to write Do The Right Thing: Architecture, Urbanism, Democracy, the Zeitgeist & the Soul.

I'm a Director of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America, the Chair of CNU New York a Founding Member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, and a co-founder of the New Urban and Traditional Architecture Councils.

I was also a co-founder of the pro-urb list, a forum on the internet for an advanced discussion of New Urbanism. And in this blog you will find some postings from that list, along with other writings and clippings on architecture, urbanism, Classicism, Tradition, metaphysics and culture.


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Sunday, July 25, 2004

My New Watch & How Architects Think

SWWbigdateThere are lots of good looking, elegant watches available if you're ready to spend $5,000 to $10,000. I'm not.

My new Swiss Railway watch (a copy of the famous Modern clock designed by Hans Hilfiker for the Swiss Federal Railways) cost $150, and I think it looks pretty good. Of course being an architect I have to improve it, and I'm going to spend another $100 to gold plate it — more on that below.

Here's how anal architects are: we look at the photo and think, "Maybe that asymmetrical date is a problem." Then we look at it on our wrist and think, "It's not an asymmetrical condition, maybe this is more balanced."

Then we think, "Except during those hours when the hour hand and the minute hand are both on the right side of the watch. How many hours a day is that? Maybe I could . . ."

July 25, 2004 in Architecture | Permalink

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I just drove over -- yes drove over it in a car -- my $40 Indiglo Swatch -- the one with with the button to light up the dial -- so I am looking for a new watch.

Does yours have the Indiglo feature?

Posted by: David Sucher at Jul 26, 2004 10:22:54 AM

I really like the Teno brand of watches. They are about $200. Sadly, the only shop in the Bay Area that sells 'em closed.

Some of the Skagen watches are pretty nice, too. (I am wearing a very thin, very light Swatch now).

Posted by: Brian Miller at Jul 26, 2004 2:46:08 PM

Click on the Swiss Railway link in the first line of the second paragraph. I have a vague recollection of seeing an indiglo watch, but I might have that mixed up with another company.

Posted by: John Massengale at Jul 27, 2004 12:41:09 AM

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