About the Author
James Crisp has been an architect for well over 20 years. His architectural firm, Crisp Architects, designs projects throughout New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. In April of 2007, Taunton Press published 'On the Porch' by James M. Crisp and Sandra Mahoney.
Porches Archive
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View From the Porch
Posted on May 28, 2010 | 10 CommentsThere are few things I enjoy more than relaxing on my own porch after work.There is no doubt in my mind that there is something psychologically unique about a porch. We are neither inside nor fully outside and exposed... -
Porch Renovation
Posted on May 10, 2010 | No CommentsOlder homes have a character that often is impossible to replicate. A 200 year old home has traces of daily life so different from our world today. -
Sun Room
Posted on March 3, 2010 | 1 CommentThe best time to enjoy a sunroom can be the middle of winter. While we always think of sitting in a sun room looking out over a lush garden, the time when we need sun the most is when those plants are well below the snow. -
Porch Costs
Posted on February 10, 2010 | No CommentsI have always been a fan of porches. When I was little I would spend hours on my front porch watching the world move by. Now that I have kids, summer hours are often spent sitting, swinging, eating and entertaining on our porch. The wonderful... -
The Philip Hart House-Sleeping Porch
Posted on July 26, 2009 | No CommentsEvery old home needs an advocate. A special someone who understands and cares about the details, the history, and the sense of place inherent in a period home. Those advocates may save that home from the wrecking ball or the vinyl siding salesman or the... -
Bedroom Addition
Posted on July 25, 2009 | No CommentsAbout fifteen years ago my wife and I bought a circa 1790 farm house that had been added on to over the centuries. We restored portions of the house and renovated others. When our children outnumbered the available bedrooms, we decided to add on. Like many... -
Screened Porches
Posted on April 20, 2009 | No CommentsOwning a screened porch on a buggy summer evening is like owning a castle with a moat when the barbarians attack. The screened porch provides a place to relax outdoors without having to pay attention to the barbarian bug population. In general, the screened porches we... -
A Good Fit
Posted on November 4, 2008 | No CommentsHave you ever looked at a house and sensed that something about it wasn’t quite right? Perhaps it didn’t look finished or feel balanced. Was it the placement of the windows? The pitch of the roof? The size of the porch? It’s not always easy... -
The Reluctant Authors (of On the Porch)
Posted on March 19, 2007 | 1 CommentFor almost as long as I have written this column about architecture, there has been a line at the end mentioning the upcoming publication of On the Porch written by Sandra L. Mahoney and myself. As the days draw near to this momentous event... -
Dutchess Porches
Posted on October 14, 2006 | No CommentsDutchess county has had a love affair with porches that goes back centuries. Although few of the earliest Dutch and English colonial homes had porches, it wasn’t long until they were added to the beautiful stone and wood houses. Like most of the country, there were...