Catalan Summer Solstice Festival Is Fire
Each year throughout Spain, particularly in Catalonia's Girona Pyrenees, as the sun reaches its zenith, summer begins with a celebratory bang: the Fire Festival of…
The Eiffel Tower: French Icon, Once Disputed, Now Cherished
Daybreak cast a hazy pastel backdrop beyond the trellised silhouette. Once viewed by Parisians as a blemish upon the skyline, this wrought-iron structure now proudly…
Continue reading → The Eiffel Tower: French Icon, Once Disputed, Now Cherished
3 Southern US States, 3 Universities, 3 Styles
Join our adventure in the story links below. Discover how three college towns gave us three completely different experiences. Each campus showed us an array of southern charm and character, each with distinct qualities. The pastel-colored University of South Carolina was warm and welcoming with a personalized approach. The classically inspired University of Georgia was…
Continue reading → 3 Southern US States, 3 Universities, 3 Styles
A Whirlwind (literally) of Grandeur in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama
Our first visit to the state of Alabama started out with a bang—of lightning, that is. The whipping wind in Birmingham warned us of the brewing storm. Then, upon our arrival, Tuscaloosa greeted us with a tornado warning. That morning was relatively warm. We had just driven from the University of Georgia in Athens to…
Continue reading → A Whirlwind (literally) of Grandeur in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama
Finding a Haven at the University of Georgia
Jubilant students on TV rushed to ring a chapel bell as Georgia beat Alabama in the college football national championship game. A few weeks later, we find ourselves standing at that same bell hanging from within a white trussed tower. A student marches eagerly up to ring the bell with vigor, a tradition first recorded…
Continue reading → Finding a Haven at the University of Georgia
Guided by Warm Charm at the University of South Carolina
Just a couple blocks from the South Carolina State House, we enter through one of two openings in the brick "Horseshoe Wall" that once protected the campus from burning during the Civil War. The cozy atmosphere invites us in. A brick path leads us into a tree-lined park setting where two centuries of pastel-colored history…
Continue reading → Guided by Warm Charm at the University of South Carolina
The Space Needle’s New Vibe
Mostly improved, but missing one thing—the restaurant The centerpiece of the 1962 World's Fair, the futuristic Space Needle got a $100 million renovation—mostly for the better—using 176 tons of glass to achieve a lighter and brighter feel. Although, now something's missing—actually, replaced. This time around we opted to enjoy the Space Needle from on the…
A Gothic Treasure: The Valencia Silk Exchange, La Lonja de la Seda
Light streams between a forest of spiral stone columns. Each support twists upward, branching into a delicate web of ribbed groin vaults overhead. This airy—seemingly weightless—volume exalts Valencia's commercial hub, unique to its time. The History of This Temple of Trade When Pere Compte (renowned master builder from Girona) began construction of this trade center…
Continue reading → A Gothic Treasure: The Valencia Silk Exchange, La Lonja de la Seda
Streamlining Our Life: Less Things Means More Experiences
A Personal Journey—How downsizing upgraded our lives and revealed what's really important to us, in this moment. It may seem counterintuitive, particularly for an architectural designer amid a pandemic, to sell our house and move into an apartment. But that's exactly what we did. We let go of the "American dream." As homeowners for the…
Continue reading → Streamlining Our Life: Less Things Means More Experiences
Travel Guide to London: Kensington and Chelsea
As I poked between the iron gate, I heard a voice warn, "No photos." I looked up from the estate to see a gentleman emerge from the buildings to kindly deliver his message. I was just there for the architecture. Beautiful details called to me, begging for my admiration. And although I was no threat,…
Continue reading → Travel Guide to London: Kensington and Chelsea
AMG Inspired 