My new book, Innovations in Mass Timber, a global tour of 16 cutting-edge commercial and multifamily projects, will be available through myriad book-buying platforms in late May. The book provides a comprehensive tour of the world’s most innovative buildings with an eye toward helping professionals tackle their first project. It includes detailed information on evolving […]
The Forever Home Debuts to Five-Star Reviews
I’m still blushing over the reviews my new book, The Forever Home, has received on Amazon since its late March debut. Readers have a lot of good things to say about the book, which took me three years to write. The book is based on three dozen interviews with homeowners and architects done during the […]
Grandpa’s Got a Robot: A Critical Dissection
By Booth Neyscop Boyce Thompson says his new concept album, Grandapa’s Got a Robot, streaming everywhere, is an attempt to create an alternative “soundtrack of his youth.” Even though he grew up in the Midwest, he sings on the album about youthful events centered around the Mid-Atlantic seaboard. The album references Jockey’s Ridge, Brew-Thru, Peppermints, […]
Imposter Syndrome Imperilled Boyce Thompson’s Album Release
This blogger recently talked with the erstwhile artist Boyce Thompson about his new album, Unfinished Business, scheduled for an April 22 release on Plug Nickel Records. The self-loathing musician suffered through a series of psychological episodes that imperiled the release of his sixth album, his most personal release. Q: I hear you suffered from severe […]
How Much Does it Cost to Build a New Home?
Maybe you aren’t the kind of person who keeps a strict family budget or regularly balances a checkbook. But if you plan to risk your savings on a half-million-dollar new home, it’s time to start acting more like an accountant. You need to develop a budget and stick to it closely. If you borrow money […]
How Resilient Is Your Home?
Rolling blackouts in California and utility outages in flood-ravaged regions have focused renewed attention on resilient architecture, designing homes that bounce back from major storms and operate independently. Could you still live in your house if the power went out and gas wasn’t available? It’s an increasingly vital issue to contemplate, one addressed in my […]
Monticello: Jefferson’s Very Personal Residence
Thousands of visitors are drawn to Monticello each year because of its classical styling and the elegant symmetry and proportions that Jefferson applied after carefully studying the principles of Andrea Palladio. After “reading” Jefferson’s essay in architecture, however, many visitors leave with a different appreciation: how the statesman personalized his home. Jefferson designed Monticello to […]
How to Avoid Buyer’s Remorse
We’ve probably all felt buyer’s remorse at some point in our lives. Sometimes, we wish we’d spent a little more to get the stereo systems of our dreams or a tailored dress that fits perfectly. And sometimes, we wish we’d spent a lot less. A five-year commitment to a $450 monthly payment for a German […]
10 Tricks of the Design Trade
You may not notice them when first glancing at a house design, but designers often employ tricks of the trade to make their homes look larger, live better, and go together more economically. The touches could be as subtle as a raised vanity that allows you to run tile to the wall in case you […]
Lincoln’s Lost Colony: Available for Purchase
I’m pleased to report that my first history book, Lincoln’s Lost Colony: The Black Emigration Scheme of Bernard Kock, has been released by McFarland. The book took me 11 years to research and write. It wouldn’t have taken so long had I not elected to thoroughly footnote and index it. I elected to do this […]
Left Bank Books Appearance Exceeds Expectations
I’m relieved to report that my recent appearance at Left Bank Books in St. Louis was a big success. The event to promote my new book, The Forever Home, not only exceeded the bookstore’s expectations, but many attendees later told me that they greatly enjoyed it. The book signing/presentation took place one day before my […]