I make a living poking around people’s homes.  As a residential architect in New England, I often find myself exploring antique attics, basements, and living spaces with a tape measure in tow.  I carry the same curiosity about houses into my personal life.  When I visit friends’ old houses, I’m not shy about tapping on a chase to hear if it’s hollow or peering into a fireplace to check out the firebox.  So, naturally, house tours suit my proclivities.  Especially the Christmas in Salem House Tour, which celebrates its 30th anniversary the first weekend of December 2009.  It’s always a treasure trove of intriguing historic properties. 

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Alexander Esty, Unidentified house, c. 1855, Courtesy of Historic New EnglandFor those of us who grew up here, the older homes of New England typically have the first and greatest architectural influence on us.  Those who move to New England later in life often quickly come to appreciate the unique language the houses of New England speak.  It’s a language worthy of study and appreciation which is exemplified in Drawing Toward Home, Designs for Domestic Architecture from Historic New England now on show at the Boston University Art Gallery.

Since I mostly draft by hand, as all architects did prior to the advent of computer-aided drafting, it was with great delight that I perused the architectural drawings from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries on display at B.U.  Most are presentation drawings while some are study drawings meant primarily for the architects’ review.

Well known and little-known architects are represented in the 100 exhibited drawings culled from Historic New England’s collection which contains the work of more than 400 architects.  I found myself drawn to three striking drawings which collectively reflect three areas of interest to architects: constructed elements relative to landscape; the house: its plan, exterior elevations, sections and representation in perspective; and its interior.

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Recommended upcoming New England tours

Gloucester Home for the Holidays Tour (Gloucester, MA) Saturday, November 21, 2009 11:00 am-4:00 pm

Marblehead Holiday House Tour (Marblehead, MA) Saturday, December 5, 2009 10:00 am-4:00 pm and Sunday, December 6, 2009 noon-4:00 pm

New Bedford Holiday House Tour (New Bedford, MA) Saturday, December 5, 2009 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm and Sunday, December 6, 2009 1:00 pm-5:00 pm

Plymouth Holiday House Tour (Plymouth, MA) Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, 2009 10:00 am-4:00 pm

Christmas in Salem House Tour (Salem, MA) Friday, December 4, 2009 5:30 pm-7:30 pm, Saturday, December 5, 2009 10:00 am-4:30 pm, and Sunday, December 6, 2009 11:30 am-4:30 pm

Stockbridge Holiday House Tour (Stockbridge, MA) Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:00 am-4:00 pm

Scituate Coastal Holiday House Tour & Boutique (Scituate, MA) Sunday, December 6, 2009 noon-4:00 pm

Westport Holiday House Tour (Westport, CT) Sunday December 6, 2009 11:00 am-4:00 pm

Essex Holiday House Tour (Essex, CT) Saturday, December 12, 2009 10:00 am-4:00 pm

Newburyport Holiday House Tour (Newburyport, MA) Saturday, December 12, 2009 10:00 am-4:00 pm

West Falmouth Library's Holiday House Tour (West Falmouth, MA) Sunday, December 13, 2009 noon-4:00 pm

Woodstock Holiday House Tour (Woodstock, VT) Saturday, December 12, 2009 10:00 am-4:00 pm

Portsmouth Holiday Home Tour (Portsmouth, NH) Sunday, December 13, 2009 1:00 pm-5:00 pm

Sometimes great information is hiding in plain site.  I’ve been aware of Fivecat Studio in Pleasantville, New York for probably two years now.  They’re a residential architecture firm owned by husband-and-wife team: Mark R. LePage and Annmarie McCarthy, serving Westchester County (NY), Fairfield County (CT), and the lower Hudson River Valley. 

They came to my attention via Mark’s blog Living Well in Westchester which is an informal and informative read about residential architecture within and beyond Fivecat’s stomping grounds.  It highlights projects, practitioners, products, publications and more.  I periodically check in on Living Well in Westchester and somehow managed, until recently, to overlook the jewel tucked into the blog’s sidebar.  It’s Fivecat’s Complete Guide to Residential Architecture on Squidoo.

I have to admit; I had never visited Squidoo before.  For those few of you who haven’t either, Squidoo is a platform where folks can create pages, or “lenses,” which gather or compile information focused on their specific interests.  Mark’s “lens” assembles in one place links to many residential architecture guides, resources, organizations, directories, conferences, and award programs.  It’s a very handy compilation.  Of course, most compilations are ever evolving, so if you know of a worthy item missing from Mark’s "lens", I’m sure he’d be happy to hear about it from you.  Let him know via blog@fivecat.com.  For instance, I’d like to see him add an architecture- and house-museum category.  He also includes his favorite residential architecture blogs, magazines/journals, firms, books, and videos.  Naturally, some of my favorites differ from his, but it’s always fun to learn of someone else’s.

Mark’s “lens” takes great strides towards illuminating the realm of residential architecture and making it more accessible to a general audience.  The more we can engage folks in the built environment of their every-day neighborhoods, the better for those folks and their neighborhoods.  I hope you’ll explore his guide and the residential architecture around you.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Click on this photo to see it in the KHS photo note cards/prints gallery.Cinema Salem is hosting a Salem Arts Association show November 6 - 30, 2009.  Drop by to see some of my fine art photography and the work of five other new SAA artist members.  My limited edition photos are printed with archival ink on archival rag paper which has a deckled edge.  If you’re in town on Saturday, Nov. 14, join me at the artists’ reception from 4-7 pm.  Then grab a movie at Salem’s inspired independent movie house.  For art and film buffs, it’s win-win.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast