FREDERICK DESIGN STUDIO
MATTHEW FREDERICK, REGISTERED ARCHITECT
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Courses and Presentations |
HOME | RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE |
URBAN
DESIGN AND PLANNING |
COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE |
BOOKS | ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTING |
ABOUT |
For professional and general audiences |
|
| ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR Newton, Massachusetts July 9 and 12, 2008 |
 |
In the Greater
Boston area we live within a rich architectural mix, from Greek
Revival to Stick-style Victorian, from Georgian Colonial to
International/Modern. Do you know what styles are represented in
your own house? In the first session, this course will present an
overview of American residential architecture, from the era of European
settlement to the present. We'll examine key features of popular styles
and their subtle variations. We'll also discuss the underlying
cultural forces that create what we outwardly call "style." In
the second session (held on the following Saturday), we'll tour a local
neighborhood and test our ability to identify architectural styles and
estimate construction dates. Whether you are an armchair
architect or a professional real estate agent, this course will paint a
vivid picture of why our houses look the way they do. July
9 and 12, 2008 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER |
|
| SUBURBAN SPRAWL: What does it really mean? Brookline, Massachusetts April 10, 2008 7:00PM |
 |
In recent years,
as Americans
have become aware of such problems as global warming, our precarious
energy dependence, a pervasive time crunch, and the growing alienation
of suburban teenagers, the ultimate value of the American Suburban
Dream has been called into question. But
what exactly is suburbia? How would a
retreat from sprawl affect all of us, whether we reside in cities,
suburbs, or rural areas? What are the far
reaching implications of suburbanization for other problems of our day,
from the death of Mom and Pop retail to increasing incidences of
Attention Deficit Disorder and depression? Join Cambridge architect and urban
designer Matthew Frederick as he
explores the far reaching implications of suburban sprawl and its
potential antidotes. If you are looking for new ways to
understand “sprawl” as well as the many perplexing problems of American
life today, you will not want to miss this presentation. April
10, 2008
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER |
|
THE ENLIGHTENED CYNIC'S GUIDE TO HOME RENOVATIONS Brookline, Massachusetts Next offering TBA |
 |
This popular and long running 3-session course seeks to counter the distorted portrayals of the home renovation process found in the mainstream media. TV programs, home improvement magazines, and product advertisers almost universally overlook the laboriousness as well as the profound beauty of the design process, promoting instead a myth that a successful project can be realized with a singular rush of inspiration, a rosy attitude, and a flannel shirted handyman. In truth, even a "simple" kitchen renovation requires months of planning and design, careful crafting of contract language, and an often arduous search for the right architect and contractor. The Enlightened Cynic will help you go into your project with both eyes open. Besides addressing the practical questions encountered in residential construction projects -- How much will it cost? How do I find an architect and contractor? What is the permitting process? How long will construction take? How do I know if I have paid for quality work? -- we will explore tried and true methods for defining the architectural needs and potentials of your life and site. Universally useful architectural concepts, including methods of spatial organization, designing with natural and artificial light, and properly relating a house to its context, will be explored. At the end of these courses you will be prepared to embrace the confusion, trials, and rewards that lie ahead -- or will know to quit before you do something you aren't ready to do! |
|
THE AMERICAN HOUSE: Architectural Styles 1600-Present Various locations Next offering TBA |
 |
This two-hour course for real estate CEU/license renewal surveys American residential architecture from European settlement to the present day, Postmedieval to Postmodern. A PowerPoint presentation illustrates key architectural features for identifying popular styles, such as Colonial, Federal, Arts and Crafts, Greek Revival, French Second Empire, and Shingle; distinguish between sub-genres such as Queen Anne and Stick-style Victorian; and accurately guess the construction date of "mongrels." Most importantly, this course will introduce you to the broader cultural dynamics that spawned the major architectural styles, and will help you understand why houses look the way they do. This course is offered as a CEU course for real estate license renewal. The next offering will be announced soon. Real estate professionals may also request special presentations. |
|
COPERNICUS GOES TO SUBURBIA Space, Sprawl, Society, and the Limits of Modern Thought Various locations |
|
Using the visual literacy skills commonly taught to beginning architecture students as a starting point, this presentation shows how longstanding perceptual-cognitive biases in the West have led to myriad dysfunctions in American culture, including suburban sprawl, urban blight, increasing diagnoses of Attention Deficit Disorder and other psychological anomalies, oversized government, and many more. Drawn from Matthew Frederick's research for his book manuscript in progress (see Books), Copernicus Goes to Suburbia has been presented to numerous academic, professional, and public audiences. <click on image for expanded description Previous presentations include the Boston Society of Architects Lecture Series and the University of Massachusetts Regional Planning Program. Upcoming presentations are currently being scheduled. |
|
OTHER RECENT COURSES Check this webpage again for future offerings of these courses. Special presentations are also available upon request. |
What if We're Wrong?  The Congress for New Urbanism New England Conference New Urban philosophy and practice hold that suburban sprawl and urban blight have stemmed from a confluence of factors: zoning laws, automobiles, anti-urban mortgage policies, excessive highway building, cheap gasoline, racism, America’s blessing of open space, hyper-individualism, and on and on goes this well documented list. In this presentation, Matthew Frederick poses a fundamental query: What generated this lengthy list in the first place? Mr. Frederick argues that the conventional explanations for “disurbanization” fall short of identifying its root cause, and merely list the mechanisms and expedients we have used to organize physical reality in the way we believe inherently correct. CNU website |
The Architecture of Self and Home  Newton, Massachusetts Calls from the media to "makeover" your home seem to be growing ever more insistent, as quick-fix TV shows and how-to magazines bombard us with images of French doors, marble foyers, and home entertainment centers. But if these images are intriguing, the design process by which you can discover and shape your own unique architectural aesthetic is almost always overlooked. Join our instructor as he helps you engage this fascinating process and introduces you to new possibilities for your home as a practical and artistic expression of the life lived within -- your life, in architecture. |
Perspective Sketching for Artists and Laypersons  Various locations This course offers a mystery-free introduction to freehand sketching one- and two-point perspectives. It is a course in both seeing and drawing, and is suitable for trained artists desiring greater drawing accuracy as well as laypersons seeking an introduction to architectural sketching. You will learn to translate the many confusing elements of an architectural scene into a hierarchy for laying out a drawing. Subjects such as rooms, hallways, stairs, furniture, buildings, and (possibly) streetscapes will be explored. Emphasis is placed on accurate line work (rather than shade and shadow) and on the correct placement of the human figure in a drawing (without stressing figure drawing per se). |
| FREDERICK DESIGN | STUDIO | ||||||
| HOME | RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE |
URBAN DESIGN AND PLANNING |
COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE |
BOOKS | ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTING |
ABOUT |
|