Raise the Hammer
St Paul's Anglican Church, Middleport at 150: Who was the Architect?
With careful analysis of several details of the church, it is possible to make a good case for an attribution to John Turner (1807-1887).
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published October 25, 2018 in Architecture (1 comment)
Joseph Connolly's Masterpiece: The Basilica Of Our Lady Immaculate, Guelph
he Church of Our Lady is magnificently located atop 'Catholic Hill' that dominates the city of Guelph to this day.
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published September 25, 2015 in Architecture (4 comments)
No Better Time for Architects Conference in Hamilton
Here's why over a thousand architects have descended on Hamilton this week.
by Toon Dreessen
Published May 07, 2015 in Architecture (2 comments)
Notes from James Street South Jane's Walk
Some people asked for my notes from this past Saturday's Jane's Walk along James Street South. I added some photos for those who would like to follow the tour from Gore Park to Ballinachinch.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 05, 2014 in Architecture (11 comments)
Location, Location, Location: Valley City in Dundas is Back
When roaming around Dundas recently, I decided to spontaneously pop into the former factory space and see what, if any, old stories those old walls could tell. I hit the jackpot.
by Margaret Lindsay Holton
Published May 01, 2014 in Architecture (5 comments)
Chert in Southern Ontario: Its Use in Tools, Millstones and as a Building Stone
Chert is composed of microcrystalline quartz and has had two main uses: it was used by aboriginal peoples for tools and projectiles; and it has been used as a building stone.
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published May 06, 2013 in Architecture (2 comments)
Sense of Place, Place of Pride
How we treat our buildings is symptomatic of what we value about our built environment and collectively influences the quality of our shared public realm.
by Ashleigh Bell
Published April 18, 2013 in Architecture (9 comments)
Colonel FG Ward Pumping Station, Buffalo
The principal difficulty in putting an industrial artifact into preservation (not into suspension, but into preservation) is not the cost of conservation work, but the provision of an interpretive program.
by Shawn Selway
Published October 26, 2012 in Architecture (4 comments)
Notes on Stone Buildings, Doors Open Hamilton, 2012
A selection of buildings made of stone that are included in this year's Doors Open Hamilton tour.
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published May 01, 2012 in Architecture (4 comments)
In Memory of All Saints
All Saints Church may not be with us (in its present form) much longer. This article offers some documentation of its state in 2012.
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published March 12, 2012 in Architecture (1 comment)
Tour of Dundas Stone Houses
Dundas has a rich history that produced a fine heritage of stone buildings. This tour will introduce you to some of them.
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published March 03, 2012 in Architecture (24 comments)
Imported Stone in Hamilton Buildings
Though Hamilton had its own sources of stone in the nineteenth century, some stone was imported, at first by ship and later by rail. Local stone was difficult to carve, and not always suitable to changes in architectural style.
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published December 11, 2011 in Architecture (26 comments)
2011 Urban Design and Architecture Awards
The City created this competition 'to recognize and celebrate excellence in the design of our urban enivronment.' Here are the 2011 winners.
by Martin Hering
Published November 21, 2011 in Architecture (30 comments)
Use of Fieldstone in Southern Ontario Buildings
Stone collected from fields during land clearance was extensively used for building in Southern Ontario, but mainly in the region along the Grand River, settled by immigrants from Scotland and Germany.
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published November 01, 2011 in Architecture (7 comments)
Energy Consumption and Sustainability
Despite the insistence of the consumer society, quality of life depends upon nourishment from the environment, and not upon energy consumption.
by Nikos A. Salingaros
Published September 06, 2011 in Architecture (5 comments)
Experienced Space and the Innovative City
People who work with ideas and who drive the knowledge economy are those most able to relocate, and they will do so if repelled by a city with an alien geometry, towards a city with spatio-temporal attractions on the human scale.
by Nikos A. Salingaros
Published September 02, 2011 in Architecture (9 comments)
Hamilton Stone Masons and Quarry Men
The 19th century men who worked with stone described themselves as builders, quarry men, stone cutters, and either masons or stone masons.
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published August 31, 2011 in Architecture (6 comments)
Hamilton Building Stone, Part 2: Eramosa Dolomite
Quarries in the Eramosa dolomite were the preferred local source of stone for major buildings in Hamilton in the 1870s and 1880s.
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published August 23, 2011 in Architecture (12 comments)
Life and the Geometry of the Environment
Quality of life in a built environment depends on having intimate contact with natural forms.
by Nikos A. Salingaros
Published August 22, 2011 in Architecture (2 comments)
Hamilton Building Stone
Most early stone buildings in Hamilton were constructed from two local stones: a sandstone quarried at the base of the escarpment, and a dolomite quarried on the Mountain. This article gives the geological background, describes the two stones, and the his
by Gerard V. Middleton
Published August 18, 2011 in Architecture (34 comments)
Auchmar House, Hamilton
Whether it was designed by an architect or not, Auchmar is telling of the styles and influences that were circulating in Canada West at the time.
by Jessica Mace
Published April 12, 2011 in Architecture (8 comments)
Constructing Hamilton's First Skyscraper: The Pigott Construction Company Building
Construction firms are rarely the focus of architectural study, but in the case of the Pigott Building, there is merit to thinking about the role of technicians in the finished product.
by Barry Magrill, Ph.D.
Published January 04, 2011 in Architecture (21 comments)
Who Is Involved in Your Built Heritage?
This list of federal, provincial and municipal heritage organizations can help citizens find out where to go to ask questions about our built heritage.
by Kayla Jonas
Published November 22, 2010 in Architecture (6 comments)
St Paul's Anglican Church, Middleport, and Wooden Ecclesiology
The survival of St. Paul's, a wooden church built in the late 19th century, is quite remarkable and it is worth visiting for its expression of the ecclesiological principles of Anglican Church design.
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published September 05, 2010 in Architecture (2 comments)
Two Heritage Churches in Dundas, Part 2: Knox Presbyterian Church
The Gothic style was chosen for its Christian associations, but it was used it a manner that was distinctly different from the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches of Dundas.
by Candace Iron and Malcolm Thurlby
Published August 20, 2010 in Architecture (2 comments)
Two Heritage Churches in Dundas, Part 1: St Augustine's Roman Catholic Church
While the type of Roman Catholic church plan used for St. Augustine's only dates from the mid-19th century in North America, the essential components were outlined in 1577.
by Candace Iron and Malcolm Thurlby
Published July 30, 2010 in Architecture (6 comments)
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Paris
This church, which stands at the southeast corner of Main and Washington Streets, is one of the most interesting 19th-century Gothic Revival churches in Ontario.
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published July 23, 2010 in Architecture (4 comments)
St James's Anglican Church, Paris
This church demonstrates the change in the character of ecclesiastical Gothic architecture in the quarter century that elapsed between the construction of the nave and chancel.
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published July 19, 2010 in Architecture (1 comment)
John G. Howard's St James's Anglican Church, Dundas
While Howard's design for St. James would not be mistaken for a medieval original, it, along with most of his other designs, does indicate that the architect espoused principles of Gothic as applied to Anglican church design in England.
by Candace Iron and Malcolm Thurlby
Published July 11, 2010 in Architecture (1 comment)
My Life as a 'Doors Open' Tourist
Doors Open events are all about community. This community focus should also apply to how people get to far-flung sites.
by Michael Cumming
Published April 15, 2010 in Architecture (3 comments)
On Time and On Budget: How Hamilton Lost its High Quality Groove
Treating quality as an unwanted orphan is creating a problem that will haunt Hamilton for many, many years to come. The approach results in less than ideal results. It's as if OK is good enough for Hamiltonians.
by Graham Crawford
Published April 05, 2010 in Architecture (28 comments)
Open Letter to Council: Call for Action on Royal Connaught
If the dereliction of the Connaught continues unabated, council should consider expropriation and resale to a developer who fully appreciates the building and has the wherewithal to redevelop.
by Matt Jelly
Published March 22, 2010 in Architecture (20 comments)
Urban Destruction in the Heart of Brantford, Ontario
This decision to demolish buildings along Colborne St takes a marginalized city and further marginalizes it. It is such a complete reversal of things I value that I remain stunned and saddened.
by Michael Cumming
Published February 18, 2010 in Architecture (30 comments)
A Cinema Treasure Is Destroyed
The loss of the Century Theatre is just another chapter in a long and tragic saga: the destruction of our historical treasures and collective architectural memory.
by Adrian Duyzer
Published January 09, 2010 in Architecture (71 comments)
Paris Old Town Hall: What Future For This Internationally Significant Civic Gothic Revival Masterpiece?
Should the fate of this internationally significant building be left in the balance, or should all levels of government be pro-active in saving this jewel of our architectural heritage?
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published July 27, 2009 in Architecture (5 comments)
James Balfour Left his Mark on Hamilton
The ambitious architect often criticized his colleagues for copying and not designing buildings - he was interested in developing a uniquely Canadian Style of architecture.
by Trey Shaughnessy
Published September 11, 2008 in Architecture (2 comments)
St John's Anglican Church, Ancaster: An Architectural History
St John's Anglican Church in Ancaster has a fascinating architectural history.
by Candace Iron and Malcolm Thurlby
Published November 27, 2007 in Architecture (3 comments)
Hamilton Urban Design and Architecture Awards
A change is taking place in our city, not through top-down mission statements and megaprojects, but through small, incremental projects and initiatives.
by Mary Louise Pigott
Published November 08, 2007 in Architecture (0 comments)
19th-Century Churches in Hamilton: Barton Stone United Church and St Paul's Anglican Church, Glanford
The differences between Stone Church and St Paul's reflect differences between Presbyterian and Anglican worship in the mid-19th century.
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published February 26, 2007 in Architecture (3 comments)
Frederick James Rastrick and the Changing Face of Hamilton in the 1850s
Frederick Rastrick designed some of the most iconic buildings of mid-19th century Hamilton.
by Stephen Otto
Published February 26, 2007 in Architecture (6 comments)
First-Rate Gothic: A Look at St Paul's Presbyterian Church, Hamilton
In October 2006, St Paul's celebrates the 100th anniversary of the installation of the chimes and the 35th anniversary of its chimer.
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published September 20, 2006 in Architecture (3 comments)
More 19th Century Churches in Hamilton
This article explores St Peter's Anglican Church, Barton (1851-1922); Christ Church Anglican Cathedral; St Paul's Presbyterian Church, Centenary Wesleyan Methodist (United) Church; Christ Church Anglican, West Flamborough; and St Lawrence the Mart
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published May 05, 2006 in Architecture (3 comments)
Two Churches by Joseph Connolly in Hamilton
For this year's annual Doors Open Hamilton, take the opportunity to learn about two nineteenth century Hamilton churches.
by Malcolm Thurlby
Published April 21, 2006 in Architecture (3 comments)
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