Timeless Design for Houses: Talk #1

Talk #1

1st Commandment:
Be Trendy with Your Clothing, Not Your House

Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Naperville Municipal Center, Rooms A&B
400 S Eagle St,
Naperville, IL 60540

This talk provided an overview of the concept of timelessness, explain why it's important for everyone to know, and reveal trusted sources of inspiration, both in print and online.

Check out the video, slides, and resources from the talk below.

Walk the Talk  #1

On Saturday, March 15, Tom took participants on a  quintessential Historic District street to bring the concepts from Thursday's talk home.

Residential Architecture Timelessness Checklist

(Hint – The answer should be YES to all but one.)

1. Does its scale relate to a person?

2. Does it have a simple composition?

3. Is it made of natural materials?

4. Was it designed and built authentically?

5. Can you tell if it’s old or new?

Sources of Inspiration

Books:

• "Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid" by Marianne Cusato and Ben Pentreath (Available Locally at Anderson’s Bookshop)

• "Traditional Construction Patterns: Design and Detail Rules-of-Thumb" by Stephen Mouzon and Susan Henderson

• "Creating a New Old House: Yesterday's Character for Today's Home (American Institute Architects)" by Russell Versaci

• "A Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture "HRH Charles, The Prince of Wales

• "The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town" by Cyril Vetter

Architects:

• Historical Concepts

• Schafer Buccellato Architects

• Michael G. Imber Architects

Professional / Enthusiast Group:

• Institute of Classical Architecture & Art