Here is another great educational opportunity; once again through the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America. They have some very worthwhile programs.

On Saturday, September 27th they are sponsoring a walking tour of the Sunnyside Gardens which is touted as Queens’ newest landmark district in New York City.

The tour is part of the Institute’s “Discover Classical New York” series and is done in conjunction with the Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance.

“Join the ICA&CA and the Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance for a walking tour of New York’s most famous planned community on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 1 pm.”

Check out the website Discover Classical New York  for further details.
The “Discover Classical New York” is a series of walking tours and visits to architecturally and historically significant in and around New York City. The tours are guided by experts and offer insider opportunities and perspective to many properties not accessible to the general public.

Aside from the Sunnyside Gardens tour, future tours will include the Bronx Zoo Lion House and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. For further information, see the current calendar.

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America which is headquartered in New York, is offering a great program in Annapolis, Maryland (near our hometown) on October 3 – 5, 2008. The weekend program includes a series of lectures and presentations by Institute practitioners and local experts.

Included will be tours of significant historic and contemporary architectural sites which have been set up to illustrate the evolution of classical architectural elements and styles. The program will also be focusing on strategies that can be used to adapt classical architectural styles to contemporary design issues.

Annapolis Maryland was named for Princess Anne of England and became the capital of Maryland, and briefly the United States. Street names such as King George, Prince George and Duke of Gloucester date from the colonial era at which time Annapolis was a thriving town with a well heeled citizenry.

Industry included packing houses for the Chesapeake Bay oyster catch, shipbuilding and sail making. There are many great examples of eighteenth century architecture, many of which will be featured as part of this program. Main styles to be covered will be American Georgian and Colonial Revival.

Among the premier sites is the well known Hammond Harwood House a premier example of British colonial period architecture in America and the only existing piece of American colonial architecture whose design is directly based on the works of Andrea Palladio as illustrated in his Four Books of Architecture. Other stops will be the Chase Lloyd House, a Georgian 3-story home and the James Brice and William Paca houses.

Additionally, there will be a presentation and tour of Kentlands in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Built in the 1990’s, Kentlands is one of the first planed communities using the planning guides known as New Urbanism. The concepts of mixed use zoning coupled with neighborhoods designed for walking is a concept growing in popularity.

This is also a terrific opportunity to get out and about in the Chesapeake region during a season of mild weather and few crowds.

Alan

Matthew Glover of Conservatory Outlet and author of the Renegade Conservatory Guy blog, recently sent me some information about a really great event he’s involved with – a bike ride through India to raise money. I looked at some of the pictures of past trips and it looks like it would be a blast – and as he points out, all for a very worthy cause. Please give some thought to this if you have any interest.



“I’m trying to get 50 people together for our next charity bike ride in India in 2010. After the success of Cycle India 2008, where we raised over £100,000 for www.heal.co.uk we are now trying to organise a bigger and better event for January 2010.

This will be a great experience, is a very worthy cause, and is a good excuse for getting yourself fit.

We have created a Cycle India blog, and the latest information can be viewed at http://www.cycleindia.org/

To give you an idea about the type of amazing experiences you would have please watch our videos at – http://www.heal.co.uk/cycleindiavideos.html

If you’re interested in taking part, then please email me back and I’ll send you an application form.

Regards, Matthew”

The “2008 Best of Baltimore” list published in the August issue of Baltimore magazine is out and includes Tanglewood Conservatories!

The judges commented “You can’t beat the artistry and quality of the gazebos, pool houses and sunrooms created by Tanglewood Conservatories”.

They remark that “Tanglewood is one of only a handful of conservatory builders in the United States, and, fortunately for us, it’s located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.”

We are always thrilled to be recognized for our work. We strive very hard to create the artistry and quality that are our trademark and are happy to see that others can tell that there is a difference!

Pick up a copy of this issue of the magazine if you happen to be within the Baltimore area. It’s a very interesting and well done publication. I have not always known Baltimore as such a vibrant spot but over the years I’ve spent in this area, I’ve come to appreciate some really great restaurants, sights, ball games and lots of great stuff to do.

The Conservatory in Druid Hill park is a must see for anyone interested in conservatory architecture.

Thank you Baltimore.

Alan