High Line - Manhattan

We visited the High Line in Manhattan a few weeks ago. Although it was about to rain any minute, the new park was still packed with people. The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930's as an elevated track for freight trains. It is now a public park, with landscaping designed by James Corner Field Operations in conjuntion with Diller Scofidio + Renfro Architects. The High Line runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street between 10th & 11th Avenues, and will eventually run all the way to 34th Street. It's a unique space with interesting views and naturalistic plantings - we definitely recommend a stroll in this park the next time you find yourself on the West Side of Manhattan. These photos show Frank Gehry's InterActiveCorp building as viewed from the High Line.

Last Post from Oxford - St. Antony's College

We are leaving England today, but 0ur posts from Oxford would not be complete without a little mention of St. Antony's College (where we've been staying along with some American study-abroad students). St. Antony's College was established in 1950 as a graduate college of international studies, and is situated in North Oxford. Its buildings include the former Holy Trinity Convent, which has a beautiful Gothic Revival chapel designed by John Loughborough Pearson that now houses the College's library. The firm Howell, Killick, Partridge, and Amis added the Hilda Bess building in the late 1960's, which houses a dining hall and commons rooms. This concrete-framed building is a reinterpetation of the age-old communal collegiate building, and despite its rather brutalist exterior is quite nice inside with a large dining hall lit by hooded windows. The Architects Design Partnership added the Nissan Centre for Japanese Studies in 1993, a carefully detailed building influenced by Japanese architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright. Also interesting are the unrealized designs for this college by Oscar Niemeyer, which were abandoned because of the economic recession of the 1970's.

The Divinity School, Bodleian Library, Oxford University

We are going back in time a couple of centuries from the previous post to talk about the Divinity School - the oldest lecture-room in Oxford. It took nearly 60 years to construct, and has been little altered since its completion in 1483. It served for 400 years as an examination room where candidates for the degrees of Bachelor and Doctor of Divinity demonstrated their knowledge orally in front of a "master", and only in the last 100 years has it ceased to be used for its original purpose. The interior is a showpiece of English Gothic architecture and masoncraft, with a complex vaulted ceiling decorated with intricately carved bosses. (You may also recognize it as the infirmary in the Harry Potter movies.)

The Sheldonian Theatre - The Age of Classicism Comes to Oxford, England

We are still visiting Oxford, England, although unfortunately we are scheduled to leave in a few days. We managed to see the interior of the Sheldonian Theatre today, Christopher Wren's first major building commission completed in 1667. Wren based his design on Roman amphitheaters, and thus the Sheldonian was the first building in Oxford to be modeled directly from a structure dating from classical antiquity. He had to adapt this form to the use of a modern theatre where academic ceremonies would be conducted. One required deviation was that of a roof (Roman theatres were open to the sky), and Wren solved this problem with his typical mathematical expertise by creating trusses that spanned 70 ft. with no intermediate supports. These trusses were hidden from view by a ceiling that was painted by Robert Streater with allegorical scenes surrounding a central area of clouds and blue sky. The exterior of this building (although its main facade resembles illustrations found in Vetruvius) is thought not to be altogether successful. (This may have been partially a result of the tightening of funds as the building was completed.) What gives this building much of its interest, though, is that it is the earliest work of a man who would come to be known as England's greatest classical architect.
























This view (above) is taken from the cupola of the Sheldonian Theatre. You can see why Oxford is often referred to at the "city of spires".

New College - Oxford University

New College was founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham, about the time that Mob Quad at Merton College was being completed. It had a generous endowment from the start, and was the first college plan to be conceived all at one time as a coherent architectural whole. From the time it was built and to the present day, New College set the standard for collegiate architecture in Oxford. It has a wonderful cloister, completed in the late 14th century, and the original town wall dating from the early 1200's is still visible along the North edge of the campus.

Merton College - Oxford University

We are still visiting Oxford, England and its many historic colleges. Merton College was founded in 1264 and is one of the oldest colleges at Oxford University. It has a beautiful chapel, which is thought to be the finest late 13th century building in Oxford. The plan of the college developed haphazardly over time, incorporating existing buildings dating before the college, but eventually Mob Quad evolved (one of the oldest collegiate quadrangles).

Compass and Rule - Architecture as Mathematical Practice in England

We visited the Museum of the History of Science on Broad Street, and saw an interesting exhibit titled Compass and Rule - Architecture as Mathematical Practice in England, 1500-1750. This exhibit displayed drawings and instruments that show the transition of the practice of architecture from a craft to an intellectual pursuit. Some of the more interesting drawings were the first medieval maps drawn to scale and used for military purposes, and of course the drawings of Christopher Wren for the dome of London's St. Paul's Cathedral. Wren's drawings are one of the first recorded instances of an architectural form being developed during the design process (instead of during construction). Also of interest were the drawings of King George III from the 1700's. He was one of the first "gentleman-architects" and studied architecture with a tutor. His drawings preserve his first steps as a teenager to his sophisticated designs as a middle-aged man. As paper was precious, it was unusual to save a record of the basic beginning exercises. These drawings give us an idea of what an architectural education was like in the 18th century. This exhibit will be coming to the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut in February 2010.

Oxford an Architectural Guide

We have been using a wonderful architectural guide book on this trip, and want to cite the author. Much of the information from these Oxford blog posts is referenced from Geoffrey Tyack's Oxford an Architectural Guide. It's hard to find in the U.S., but if you find yourself in Oxford, you can pick up a copy at Blackwell's bookstore on Broad Street.

University Museum, Oxford, England

Just across the street from Keble College, we happened on a very interesting building. Oxford University Museum of Natural History, begun in 1855, still fulfills its function to exhibit "all the materials explanatory of the structure of the earth, and of the organic beings placed upon it." The design by Benjamin Woodward, junior partner in the Irish firm of Deane Woodward, was chosen from a design competition. Woodward was deeply influenced by the Oxford-educated John Ruskin and his books, The Seven Lamps of Architecture and The Stones of Venice. Ruskin believed that Gothic was more "natural" than classicism, allowing architectural ornament to be freed from rigid rules and orders. This idea is displayed in the carvings around the window jambs on the front of the museum - of monkeys, cats, dogs, rabbits, etc. These carvings were executed by Irish craftsmen brought to England by Woodward, which also put into practice Ruskin's belief that "all architectural ornamentation should be executed by the men who design it." The interior of the museum is really quite stunning, and its most spectacular feature is the glass roof supported by cast iron columns. This building and its exhibits were a favorite of our younger travel companions.

Keble College - Oxford University

We are still visiting Oxford, England, and have managed to see another notable college. Keble College, built in 1868-82, was designed by William Butterfield. The design of this college was quite controversial, and Butterfield's individuality and disregard for convention has never been forgiven by some to this day. One of the major differences (from other Oxford collegiate architecture) displayed in the buildings of this college is the use of brick instead of stone. This allowed Butterfield to create colored patterns and stripes, and resulted in one of the most impressive buildings of the Gothic Revival.

More posts from Oxford - Blenheim Palace

Just north of Oxford is the town of Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. The Palace was built for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his Duchess Sarah, given by Queen Anne as a gift in reward for his military services. The palace was built between 1705 and 1722. The architect chosen to complete this task was Sir John Vanbrugh (also a playwright!) and his clerk of works Hawksmoor, who had already proved their ability with the masterly designs for Greenwich Hospital and Castle Howard. Set in beautiful parkland, Blenheim is thought to be the supreme example of English Baroque architecture.

Radcliffe Camera, Oxford, England

We have more highlights from Oxford, England. The city of Oxford experienced much rebuilding during the 18th Century, which concluded with the creation of Radcliffe Square and the construction of the Radcliffe Library (now known as the Radcliffe Camera). The money for this library was donated by Sir John Radcliffe, a physician. There was much debate about exactly where the library should be situated, but it was finally decided that it should have a site in the middle of the new square. Nicholas Hawksmoor, the architect behind the design of the new square, and James Gibbs were invited to submit designs for the new library. Gibbs proposed a square library, and Hawksmoor designed a domed circular library alluding in its form and decoration to the mausolea of classical antiquity. Hawksmoor died before the site was fully purchased, so the design of the library fell to Gibbs. Although a square library would have been more practical, the Radcliffe's trustees persuaded Gibbs to conform to Hawksmoor's circular scheme, and thus give Radcliffe his monument. Gibbs created a lighter, more Baroque building, drawing on his training in Rome. Light enters both through outer windows and through the drum of the dome, and the resulting effect of light and space is enhanced by decorative plastorwork. It is thought to be the finest classical interior in Oxford, and one of a few in England.

Magdelen College, Oxford, England

More highlights from our trip to Oxford, England... The great quadrangle at Magdelen College was constructed between 1474 and 1480. It is an excellent example of English Late Gothic architecture. Buttressed, pinnacled, and decorated, it proclaims the wealth and power of the college. Oriel windows light the interior rooms, and the gateway is embellished with vaulting ribs and carved bosses. The flying ribs around the main doorways are an unusual feature.

Christ Church College, Oxford, England

We happen to be visiting Oxford, England this month. The city was founded in the late 9th Century, and the University emerged in the late 12th and early 13th Centuries. The idea of the collegiate quadrangle was developed in Oxford, and its colleges have served as models for collegiate architecture up to the present time.
This photo is of Tom Tower at Christ Church College, designed by Christopher Wren in 1681. This tower reflects the spread of classicism after the Civil War, and is considered a creative solution to completing an older, Gothic style building.

More Fireplaces

This house features a double-height living space. The upper fireplace is in the master bedroom on the second floor, but it also has a glass back that faces into the living room. When a fire is lit in the bedroom, it can be seen from below in the living room as well. To see more photos from this project please visit http://www.bohlarchitects.com/bayridge/bayridge.htm.

Fireplaces and House Design

This fireplace is part of an Arts & Crafts farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. The masonry chimney seems to float between two sheets of glass, and the firebox is backed with a piece of fireproof (oven) glass. Here, we emphasize the contrast between solid masonry and transparent glass, and also bring nature into the home. Imagine sitting by the warm fire on a cold winters day and watching the snow fall. To see more about this project and our other work, please visit http://www.bohlarchitects.com/ac_kitchen/ac_kitchen.htm.

House Design and The Fireplace

The fireplace is a symbolic part of a residence. The design of the fireplace expresses feelings, values, ideas and emotions: in the same way that the house design expresses these things- but the fireplace is a concentrated expression, it has greater intensity and more intimacy than the whole house.
The house in this photo replaced a small cottage with a big screened porch. Our client spent many summers there with her family, and most of their time seemed to be spent on that porch with its view of the water. When we designed a new house for the site, we started with the screened porch. At one corner of the porch we placed two fireplaces - one inside and one outside. Four large custom glass doors slide into a pocket between these two fireplaces, completely opening up the house to the porch on beautiful summer days. In this way, the whole house becomes part of the porch, and this idea is furthered through the design of the fireplaces.

Solar Energy for the Homeowner

Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Solar Photovoltaic Panels supplement electrical power received from the local power authority. At times when the electricity generated from the panels exceeds the home's power consumption, the excess power is transferred back into the grid and the electric meter runs in reverse. Many states (including New York) have net metering laws that require power companies to purchase excess power back from their residential customers at the same market rate they charge for usage.

This type of system can further be augmented by adding a battery to store excess energy generated from the solar panels. This stored energy can then be used during power outages.

Solar Photovoltaic Panels are improving in quality and becoming more affordable every year. With the rising costs of energy we have seen in recent times, the cost benefit ratio is always improving for these systems.

Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems

Domestic hot water heating is the second-highest energy consumer in a typical household. Using solar energy to heat hot water can reduce this cost by 65% or more in the Northeastern U.S. This type of system includes two or three solar collectors which absorb the sun's energy by warming a heat transfer fluid (propylene glycol). This fluid is then used to preheat incoming cold water before it is brought to full temperature by a conventional water heating system.

Passive Solar Design

Passive solar design integrates building components to harness natural energy flows and provide solar heating and cooling. Our designs have incorporated this simple, low-cost method to increase energy efficiency for many years. Passive solar design elements include day lighting strategies to limit the use of electricity, heat control techniques such as exterior sun screens, proper solar orientation, appropriate ventilation and window placement, and passive solar heating strategies.

Please visit www.BohlArchitects.com or contact us at Chip@BohlArchitects.com for more information. Bohl Architects has assisted many clients on both large and small projects make energy efficient choices for their homes.

Wind Power

The owners of a rural property have added this wind turbine which they expect to generate much of their electricity. As wind power is still an emerging technology, they plan to monitor their energy production in an effort to contribute to the understanding of this technology. Although the payback may be years away, their investment in this green power source will help advance the market and accessibility of wind power for future consumers. Also, any power generated by green sources (ie: wind, solar, etc.) reduces the amount of coal burned by power plants and creates less air pollution for all. To see more information about this project, please visit http://www.bohlarchitects.com.

Urban Rooftop Farming

Yesterday's New York Times featured an article on urban rooftop farming. This could mean anything from putting some planters on the roof of your building and planting a few herbs or vegetables, to large-scale farming operations on the roofs of warehouses. Schools are setting up rooftop vegetable gardens to supply fresh produce to their cafeterias, and high-end restaurants are growing ingredients for their dishes. This great idea isn't only for the city - think of the benefits for suburban schools or offices buildings. To see the full article go to http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html.

A Little Place on The Water

This custom home designed by Bohl Architects is featured in the current issue of Chesapeake Home magazine. To see the article and more photos please visit http://www.chesapeakehome.com/2009/06/03/a-little-place-on-the-water/.

The Chesapeake Life House

The Chesapeake Life House is a series of "green" homes designed by Bohl Architects. The deteriorating health of the Chesapeake Bay waters is directly related to the removal of woodland areas in the watershed. Agricultural uses, roads, yards, and building roofs all destroy the woodland areas. These fast runoff surfaces allow the immediate introduction of pollutants into the waters. The Chesapeake Life House can incorporate planted roofs that hold and filter rain water. The lot landscaping design encourages the restoration of woodlands, and the creation of indigenous wildlife habitat. The small footprint of the house and the minimal amount of hard surfaces on the lot help restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

The house easily integrates many low carbon features: solar hot water system, photovoltaic panels, geothermal heating/cooling, super insulation, and/or organic construction materials. These and more may be included as the budget allows, or added in the future.


If you are interested in building a Chesapeake Life House please contact us at Chip@BohlArchitects.com.

The Chesapeake Life House

The Chesapeake Life House is a series of sustainable homes designed by Bohl Architects. The square footprint provides an excellent ratio of floor area to exterior wall and roof area. The exterior wall and roof areas of a home are the parts of the house that lose heat in the winter and gain heat in the summer. As we minimize the exterior wall, we reduce the energy required for heating and cooling. A 2,500 square foot home with an "L" shaped floor plan has 25% more exterior wall area than a 2,500 square foot home with a square floor plan. A 2,500 square foot house that is one story has twice the roof area than a 2,500 square foot house that is two stories. Using these simple floor plan configuration concepts reduces energy and material consumption. The daily energy operation costs of the house are reduced by the low ratio of exterior wall to interior space. It turns out that a small house footprint is a small carbon footprint.
Please visit http://www.bohlarchitects.com/ for more information.

The Chesapeake Life House

The Cheseapeake Life House is a series of homes designed by Bohl Architects specifically for the Cheseapeake Bay Watershed.
The interior arrangement of rooms is as natural and traditional as the way the home sits in the landscape. The rooms have the classic proportions that can adjust to the various and changing needs of family life. The Chesapeake Life House is designed to last for many generations. The most sustainable feature of any home is the longevity of use. The design of the home must have the flexibility to accommodate a history of demands.

Each primary room of the Chesapeake Life House has windows on two sides of each room. This allows for natural ventilation and illumination, and a generous connection to the natureal landscape.

For more information please visit http://www.BohlArchitects.com.

The Chesapeake Life House

The Chesapeake Life House is a series of houses designed specifically for the Cheseapeake Bay Watershed. The floor plans range from 2000 to 4000 square feet. The house designs have great flexibility so that the living spaces can easily be modified for view, solar, and wind orientation, and to take the greatest advantage of natural topography and existing vegetation.

The Chesapeake Life House is inspired by the American Foursquare of the early 20th century. This design is a multi-story home with a square footprint.

Next weeks' blog posts will have more information on the Chesapeake Life House, or visit http://www.bohlarchitects.com/ for more information.

The Historic Architecture of Annapolis - Part 5 - McDowell Hall

Mc Dowell Hall was designed in 1742 as the Colonial Governor's Mansion. Known as "Bladen's Folly," the incomplete structure was left to deteriorate. Thomas Jefferson in 1766 observed that in Annapolis "they have no public building worth mentioning except a Governor's House, the hull of which after being nearly finished, they have suffered to go to ruin." In 1784 St. John's College acquired the building and completed construction for use as the classroom, dormitory, and administrative college building. McDowell Hall was restored after a fire partially gutted it in 1909.
The building was agained restored in 1989, with Bohl Architects acting as the restoration architects. This six-story brick building includes 23,000 square feet of space for classrooms, assembly, and student union with a small food service facility. All interior woodwork and plaster cove moldings were restored. All necessary "modern" fixtures such as smoke detectors, sprinkler heads and lighting have been seamlessly integrated into the historic building.
Exhaustive research was conducted through files in the Maryland State Archives, college records, and on-site observations during the demolition phase of the renovations to determine the 1744 floor plan. The result was recognized by the 1991 Preservation Award of the Maryland Historical Trust, and the 1990 Award for Excellence in Architecture from the American Institute of Architects.

For more information on the restoration of McDowell Hall please visit http://bohlarchitects.com/McDowell_H/mcdowell.htm.

The Historic Architecture of Annapolis - Part 4 - Vitality of Retail Storefronts

Annapolis store fronts have a distinctive scale. The display windows are wide and allow visual penetration deep into the store. The doors are recessed from the sidewalk edge, coaxing passersby to step off the sidewalk for a closer look at additional display windows. The store fronts also have small roofs above the display windows, frequently with clerestory windows above. These roofs hold awnings and larger store signs that are visible from across the street.
Apart from the similar function of the display windows, the store fronts exhibit a great deal of variety due to modifications by retailers over time. There is also a great variety at the vertical plane of the property line. Most buildings are placed directly at the property line, and many store fronts project into the sidewalk right of way. This increases display area and visibility into the store.
Variety continues at the upper levels. There is a wide range of cornice heights on Main Street - from 14 to 38 feet above the sidewalk. The former building at 184-186 Main Street had a cornice height of 38 feet. Some cornices are heavily bracketed Italianate, while others are very plain with slightly recessed panels.

One interesting example of Annapolis retail architecture is the unique variation of depth in the wall plane at 203 - 207 Main Street (see photo above). Here the design takes a grand swing at referencing the Basilica (see photo at left), Palladio's masterpiece at Vicenza, Italy. The facade at 203 - 207 has it all (most): repetitive arches, symmetrically flanking oculus openings and grand gesture balustrade; however, the facade is flattened down to the point where the second floor colonnade has become a shallow perch and, rather than Carrara marble blocks, it is built of two wood frame walls. Still a clear expression of living above the shop, and the messy vitality of retail.

The Historic Architecture of Annapolis - Part 3 - Main Street Streetscape

Main Street in Annapolis is a horizontal composition from the top at Church Circle, down the hill to the City dock. The vertical spire of St. Anne's terminates the horizontal line at the top; at City Dock, the diagonal turns to a perfectly horizontal line, racing across the Bay to the Eastern Shore. The outward flare of the street at the bottom accentuates both the spike of church steeple, and the broad horizon on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay.

The flared horizontal composition made from many individual vertical elements, a great vertical spike on one end, endless horizon at the other, all bent to a natural topography, creates a dramatic play of optic chicanery achieved only occasionally in the best of eighteenth-century French garden design. The great secret of Annapolis: is this a studied exercise in esoteric sophisticated design, or is Main Street just the cart path from harbor to farm, with a Church on top of the hill?