Learning From Historic Architecture

Many historic architectural details -- shutters, for example -- work because they were honed by time and experience. Why do so many architects and developers ignore these simple and elegant architectural details?

1 minute read

September 26, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"As we look at the vast rebuilding that must take place after Katrina ... we would be well advised to look at elements of historic architecture that harness nature rather than defy it. By and large, they work because they were honed by time, experience -- and tragedy.

...Some years ago I wrote about a distinctly modern house built not far from Charleston, South Carolina, to replace one swept away by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The design, by Charleston architect Ray Huff, had tall ceilings and high windows but a contemporary informality. An elegant wood latticework protects those windows from storm-driven debris, while dappling a wraparound porch with shade...

By contrast, other rebuilt houses nearby looked traditional, but it was all show. The picturesque gables didn't ventilate. The houses had high-end kitchens and lifestyle bathrooms, but their designers deemed real shutters an extravagance. They teetered ridiculously on high stilts, like dowagers with hiked skirts, because their designers couldn't figure out how to gracefully get the houses above destructive storm-driven waves. "

Sunday, September 25, 2005 in Bloomberg News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight