Our Architectural Philosophy
Our Architectural Philosophy

Rost Architects summarizes how its design philosophy incorporates the existing landscape and environment of a property into its residential designs, allowing nature to lead the way and providing inhabitants the experience of a reconnection and grounding with the nature that surrounds them.

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Mitchell Rocheleau
The Sacred Life of Home and City
The Sacred Life of Home and City

Deep into our ancient past, humans have been building sacred spaces. These came in the form of megalithic monuments, temples, ziggurats, pyramids, cathedrals, shrines, and mosques, among countless others. Spirituality, ritual, myth, and religion consumed their daily lives. Our ancestors created sacred spaces on Earth to honor and connect with their gods and the heavens.

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Mitchell Rocheleau
Values of the City
Values of the City

Understanding a culture’s collective psychology/values and deciphering how those ideas manifest in their built environment can help inform how we build cities for the future. Despite the importance of such studies, it is rare to stumble upon someone who writes about the intersection of psychology and the built environment, especially one who expresses ideas clearly and accessibly.

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Architecture & Psychology, Architecture TodayMitchell Rocheleauurban design, city design, capitalism urban design, capitalist city, designing cities, beautiful cities, best cities, urban architectural design, design of cities, psychology and cities, psychology behind cities, values of cities, psychology and city design, psychology and urban design
Interview With Roderick Beaton on Ancient Greek Cities & Culture
Interview With Roderick Beaton on Ancient Greek Cities & Culture

Mitchell Rocheleau, meets with Roderick Beaton to discuss Ancient Greek Culture & Cities, and the impact it has on modern day city design.

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History, Ancient Architecture, InterviewMitchell RocheleauGreek Architecture, Greek History, Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Cities, Greek architecture history, Athens Greece History, History Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Architecture History, Ancient Greek Architecture, Greek Architectural History, Greek Cities, Greek City Design, Ancient Greek City Planning, greek history, greek architecture, greek architecture history, ancient greek city planning, ancient greek architecture, greek city planning, ancient greek architecture history, ancient greek city
Urban and Architectural History of Venice, Italy
Urban and Architectural History of Venice, Italy

Throughout its existence, Venice and its people have had a unifying narrative: the struggle against water. Although the rising sea levels have resulted in death, destruction, and flooding, it has also served a valuable role as the collective antagonist of the Venetian people. It is human nature to band together when faced with a common challenge or adversary. Through necessity and under the constant threat of rising tides, Venetians developed ingenuity, a work ethic, and a common purpose. The bond created by this struggle has been one of the key ingredients to the progress and prosperity of Venice.

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Architecture Today, HistoryMitchell RocheleauVenice Architecture, Venice HIstory, Architecture History of Venice, Venice Italy History, Buildings in Venice, Architectural History of Venice, Venice Travel History, Building in Venice, Venice Italy, Venice Construction Techniques, Venice Sinking
History, Design and Philosophy Behind Central Park in New York City
History, Design and Philosophy Behind Central Park in New York City

Why is Central Park important for our generation to understand? Why would a park constructed in the late 1800’s be significant to our contemporary society? Central Park depicted a moment in our civilization when humans experienced a shift and moment of self-awareness regarding our nature as humans and the environment we were creating. In the late 1800s, New Yorkers stopped and questioned the growing and developing city around them.

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History, Architecture Today, Architecture & PsychologyMitchell RocheleauCentral Park History, New York Central Park, Central Park Design, Central Park Design Competition, Central Park Architecture, History of Central Park, New York History, History of Central Park New York, New York Central Park History, Fredrick Law Olmstead, Olmstead Central Park, Olmstead and Vaux, Olmstead Vaux Central Park, Olmstead New York, Frederick Law Olmstead New York Park
Early People and History that Shaped New York City
Early People and History that Shaped New York City

Why would we be interested in understanding the first settlers of New York City? New York has been a pivotal city in the history of America and the world. One of its ingredients of success lies in the mindset, values, philosophies, and way of life of the people who founded and grew the city. These ideas were manifested in the city's fabric and directly affected the shape of the urban environment.

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Architecture Today, HistoryMitchell RocheleauNew York city architecture, New York Architecture History, Manhattan Architecture History, Manhattan History, Early history New York, First Settlers New York, New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam History, New York History, New York City History, History of New York City, First Settlers New York City, Dutch New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam Dutch, Dutch New Amsterdam History
How The Advent of Capitalism Affected the Form of the City
How The Advent of Capitalism Affected the Form of the City

A slow yet palatable transition within the city started around the sixteenth century. The forces of religion that had driven the city started to contend with a new stimulus based on money and profits. The mercantilist and capitalistic philosophies began manifesting in the city's physical form. The town was still firmly rooted in its medieval customs and structures; however, it was clear that things were changing throughout the Western world.

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Architecture Today, History, Architecture & PsychologyMitchell Rocheleau
The Urban Transformation of Copenhagen
The Urban Transformation of Copenhagen

In the early 1960s, like many cities worldwide, Copenhagen began carving out spaces for the automobile by building streets, highways, and parking inside the city. A group of architects and urban designers predicted the detrimental impacts this could have on the form and life of their town. When the city began to fall into economic decline, the local government showed receptivity to the Architects' ideas and began taking action to revitalize the city.

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Architecture Today, HistoryMitchell Rocheleau
Why Cities Attract People
Why Cities Attract People

There are many reasons why a city becomes a point of destination. People are attracted to certain cities and travel from all over the world to see them. However, many people have trouble articulating why they enjoy them. They know something about it makes them feel comfortable, but they can't put their finger on it.

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Architecture Today, History, Architecture & PsychologyMitchell Rocheleauurban design, best cities, best cities to travel to, city design, best cities for architects, beautiful cities, best cities travel, architecture travel
A Brief History of the Monastery and its Contributions to the Contemporary City
A Brief History of the Monastery and its Contributions to the Contemporary City

In the fifth century, Rome was in steady decline. The empire fell apart due to prolonged outside attacks and the hedonistic, corrupt culture that developed among its leaders and citizens. Life became hollow, brutal, and meaningless. A new religion called Christianity emerged, along with a reimagined way of life. Small ascetic Christian groups began to withdraw from society throughout the Roman Empire. Many of these early groups can be traced to the deserts of northern Egypt.

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History, Architecture TodayMitchell Rocheleauhistory of monasteries, monastic history, history of monastic architecture, monasteries, monk history, architecture history of monastary, monastic architecture, monastic architecture history, mid evil monastic history
The Dark Side of Ancient Roman Cities
The Dark Side of Ancient Roman Cities

Rome's history is often presented as a glittering metropolis full of architectural excellence, sophisticated engineering, extensive paved roads, and glorious monuments. Our contemporary entertainment industry romanticizes the tales of Roman emperors, warriors, gladiators, and politicians. When we visit the ruins, we imagine the daily life of ancient Rome as a pageant of prosperity and industriousness that supported the growth of an ancient utopia. These aspects and portrayals of Rome have a degree of truth behind them. However, a darker side of Rome managed to evade the limelight.  

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History, Ancient ArchitectureMitchell Rocheleauancient rome, Roman Architecture History, history of rome, roman city history, history of roman architecture, roman architecture, Rome Architecture, roman architectural history, architectural history rome, collapse of rome, downfall of rome, ancient rome collapse, collapse of ancient rome
Forces that Shaped Ancient Greek Cities and Culture
Forces that Shaped Ancient Greek Cities and Culture

Many factors shaped ancient Greek cities. The natural landscape, climate, religious beliefs, philosophy, literature, politics, law, sport, art, theater, and psychology amalgamated to create genuinely unique cities and a thriving culture. Many aspects of Greek civilizations still form the basis of modern Western culture and society; however, we have also made significant diversions, which I believe deserve close assessment. Can certain aspects and values of ancient Greek cities and culture be re-integrated into our contemporary societies to help improve our current condition?

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History, Ancient ArchitectureMitchell Rocheleauancient greek architecture, ancient greek city, ancient greek city planning, ancient greek architecture history, greek architecture history, architecture history of greece, greek architecture, greek history, greek city planning, history of athens, Athens architecture history
Early History of Cities and The Development of the Urban Form
Early History of Cities and The Development of the Urban Form

How did cities develop? Many of us take our environments for granted without questioning how and why they evolved into the forms we see today. In his book The City in History, Lewis Mumford provides a fascinating account of the history of cities. His interpretation dissects the complex forces that led to their creation. He discusses what forms these forces manifest themselves in throughout human development.

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History, Ancient ArchitectureMitchell Rocheleauancient cities, ancient city, Ancient architecture, ancient civilizations, ancient architecture, history of civilization, history of cities, ancient city history, history of village, human civilization history, civilization history, early human civilizations