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