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 towns and cities. You can see some of them at www.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 the Chair of CNU New York a Founding Member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, a former Director of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America and Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, 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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« Occupy - 2 months, from the Brooklyn Bridge | Main | Mayor LaGuardia's The ABC of City Planning »

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Occupy Mansions & Beautiful Houses

AT THE OTHER END OF THE SCALE from Liberty Plaza, were the houses in a recent dinner discussion with Classical architects. "Pick three houses," one said, "A city house, a country house and a beach house." All three picked New York City houses I didn't know, until I said, "Why not the Frick?" which started a different level of discussion. I went on to pick the Otto Kahn house instead, and then it turned out my other two picks were also the consensus winners:

I realized I would need something in New England:

I chose Hollister House for its gardens, and that brought up gardens and Europe:

And then there are the weekend houses (where Modernism finally came in):

November 23, 2011 in Architecture, Classicism, Culture, Personal, Travel, Urbanism | Permalink

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