Appreciating New England Architecture

There are a handful of famous architects that most Americans could name, Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry being among the the most recognizable. We live in and walk past the work of architects every day, some celebrated in their field, but the majority are unknown and rarely celebrated outside of the trade.

Architect and professor Roger K. Lewis wrote about his frustrations with this anonymity in a Washington Post column. He says Americans are pragmatists who put utilitarian concerns ahead of aesthetics, and that we celebrate people who entertain, not those who create imaginative, creative works of public architecture.

Lewis’ frustrations are shared by Donald Kreis, Word of Mouth architecture commentator and assistant director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School. Donald wants to give credit where credit is due, so he joins us to tell us about four of his favorite architects from New England - one from New Hampshire, and the others from Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine - to better appreciate their work when we see it.

Read more on Donald Kreis' architecture picks

C. Stuart White of Banwell Architects in Lebanon, NH
Carol A. Wilson of Falmouth, Maine
John Anderson of Burlington, Vermont
Charles Rose of Boston, MA

(Photo of the Currier Arts Center at the Putney School courtesy of Charles Rose of Boston)