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 stands as France’s most celebrated icon. Our body clocks, not yet adjusted from Pacific Standard Time, woke us in the early morning darkness on the first day of our first […]
Category: BUILD
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Travel Tale: From Overload to Awe in Vatican City
Corralled beneath ornate ceilings in halls of maps and tapestries, the crowded gallery corridors felt like an elegant livestock chute extending the length of a dozen football fields. From there, we were shoved into a smaller-than-expected chapel packed with tourists. This should have been a moment that forced my mouth agape as I wrapped my […]
Honoring Gothic Inspiration and Quality: Paris Notre Dame, the Masterpiece
Certain places throughout the world exude quality and inspire each of us to be the best version of ourselves. In Paris (and throughout France, for that matter) quality is the standard rather than the exception. At the heart of the city, rising over the banks of the Seine on the Île de la Cité, Notre […]
El Dorado Hills: on the Brink of Change
El Dorado Hills, once on track to be one of America’s best towns, still has an opportunity to lead the movement toward more thoughtful development. But, if we can’t influence a different mindset from the one currently in place, plans for development will turn this town into another uninspired Californian suburb: a visionless sprawl without […]