Bunny Williams - Not a House but a Home

Design in Mind is an original documentary series by the educational nonprofit The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) that profiles the careers of architects, artists, and designers. The series is distributed on public television stations nationwide by American Public Television (APT). The third entry in the Design in Mind series is Bunny Williams – Not a House but a Home, which explores the life and work of renowned interior designer Bunny Williams.

With her trademark warmth and geniality, Bunny leads viewers on a tour through many of her iconic spaces, from a classically inspired country estate that she designed for a client, to her Upper East Side apartment and her office in New York City, and finally to her lovingly renovated home and gardens in pastoral Connecticut. Featuring unprecedented access to one of America's most acclaimed designers, Bunny Williams – Not a House but a Home draws a vivid portrait of a wildly influential entrepreneur, offers her practical insights into creating beautiful interiors and gardens, and highlights the art and architecture that inspired her celebrated designs.

On Location with James Ivory

Design in Mind is an original documentary series by the educational nonprofit The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) that profiles the careers of architects, artists, and designers. The series is distributed on public television stations nationwide by American Public Television (APT). This second installment of the series features film director James Ivory.

After a career spent making films inside beautiful historic houses, legendary director James Ivory allows the cameras to enter his own home for an intimate portrait of his life and career. Ivory speaks candidly about how architecture, particularly traditional architecture, has shaped his films.

His production company, Merchant Ivory, has won six Academy Awards, with Ivory himself receiving Best Director nominations for A Room with a View (1985), Howards End (1992), and The Remains of the Day (1993). He recently won the ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ Academy Award for Call Me by Your Name (2017).

Robert A.M. Stern: Always a Student

Design in Mind is an original documentary series by the ICAA that profiles the careers of architects, artists, and designers. This first installment of the series looks at the career and impact of architect Robert A.M. Stern.

Featuring in-depth interviews with Robert A.M. Stern, founding partner of RAMSA, and partners Gary Brewer and Melissa DelVecchio, this inspiring documentary explores the contributions that Stern has made to architecture and education.

Classicism, Humanism, and Grace: 40 Years of the Arthur Ross Awards

For over 40 years, the ICAA's Arthur Ross Awards have recognized the lifetime achievements of architects, painters, sculptors, artisans, landscape designers, educators, publishers, patrons, and others dedicated to preserving and advancing the classical tradition. Described by Architectural Digest as “the Oscars of the design world,” the Awards—named for Arthur Ross, a native New Yorker who spearheaded the revitalization of Central Park in the 1970s—quickly grew to become a major force of change in design history.

In this original documentary produced by the ICAA, host Francis Morrone explores the history and significance of the Awards and Arthur Ross's contributions to the advancement of architecture, arts, and design, and six recipients reflect on the impact of this distinction on their careers. Their efforts demonstrate the importance of human-centered design, not just in our past, but in our future.

Classical City Guide: New York

The Classical City Guide series showcases architecture in cities and regions across the United States and around the world. Join ICAA Instructor and Architectural Historian Francis Morrone as he explores classical buildings and sites across the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Classical City Guide: Atlanta

The Classical City Guide series showcases architecture in cities and regions across the United States and around the world. Join Norman Davenport Askins, Architect, Historian, and Arthur Ross Award Winner, as he explores his hometown, Atlanta. From world-renowned architectural treasures to lesser known classical gems, there is an incredibly diverse selection of buildings waiting to be discovered.

The Foundations of Classical Architecture: Roman Classicism

In part one of the ICAA's four-part educational video series on classical architecture, architectural historian Calder Loth explores the fundamental role that Roman classicism has played in the development of Western architectural traditions. Viewers may receive 1.25 AIA CES Learning Units|Elective and 1.25 credits towards the Certificate in Classical Architecture (Elective) by watching this video and subsequently scoring at least 70% on a quiz that tests your understanding of the material.

The Foundations of Classical Architecture: Greek Classicism

In part two of the ICAA's four-part educational video series on classical architecture, architectural historian Calder Loth explores the fundamental role that Greek classicism has played in the development of Western architectural traditions. Viewers may receive 1.25 AIA CES Learning Units|Elective and 1.25 credits towards the Certificate in Classical Architecture (Elective) by watching this video and subsequently scoring at least 70% on a quiz that tests your understanding of the material.

The Foundations of Classical Architecture: Motifs & Details

In part three of the ICAA's four-part educational video series on classical architecture, architectural historian Calder Loth explores some of the most common and important design motifs used in classical design. Viewers may receive 1.25 AIA CES Learning Units|Elective and 1.25 credits towards the Certificate in Classical Architecture (Elective) by watching this video and subsequently scoring at least 70% on a quiz that tests your understanding of the material.

The Foundations of Classical Architecture: Classical Design Principles

In the final video of the ICAA's four-part educational video series on classical architecture, architectural historian Calder Loth explores several classical design motifs, as well as basic design principles to be aware of when working in the classical language today. Viewers may receive 1.25 AIA CES Learning Units|Elective and 1.25 credits towards the Certificate in Classical Architecture (Elective) by watching this video and subsequently scoring at least 70% on a quiz that tests your understanding of the material.

Classicism in the Sky: The Return of the Elegant Skyscraper

“Throughout the past decade and a half, New York City’s skyline-altering luxury building boom has produced no shortage of eye-catching, unmistakably contemporary landmarks. Some are twisting or gridded or stacked like Jenga blocks, others are sleek and supertall, and nearly all are clad in shimmering expanses of glass (see Hudson Yards). But there is another side to this story. Amid the futuristic never-seen-that-before, stretching-into-the-clouds pyrotechnics, some of the city’s most prestigious new apartment high-rises are being designed by architects who unabashedly look to the past.”

On June 7, 2023, the ICAA hosted a panel discussion as an expansion of the Veranda article, Is the Future of American High-Rise Residences Rooted in Old-World Elegance? by Stephen Wallis. Held at the offices of Robert A.M. Stern Architects and moderated by Stephen Wallis, the panel consisted of Paul Whalen and Dan Lobitz, Partners at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and Peter Pennoyer, Principal of Peter Pennoyer Architects. The three architects discussed how their firms' buildings have risen to meet the demands of modern life, while still harkening back to the old-school elegance of the classic buildings that form New York's architectural fabric.

Sir Edwin Lutyens and Country Life

Architectural historian Clive Aslet explores how architect Sir Edwin Lutyens built his relationship with the publication Country Life and its founder Edward Hudson, a partnership which established his legacy as one of the greatest British architects.

Clive’s lecture coincides with the re-publication of the long-out-of-print Lutyens Memorial Volumes, the definitive collection of the architect’s plans, elevations and working drawings. The original series was long sought-after by architects and enthusiasts and soon became hard to find, but now has been re-published for a new generation who wish to study Lutyens’ work and influence. The first two volumes are now available, and the third volume will be released in Spring 2024.

The Lutyens Memorial Volumes: Genesis and History

The Lutyens Memorial Volumes are a landmark of architectural publishing, providing the most thorough coverage ever accorded to a modern British architect. Always intended as a tool for designers, they have been studied by architects as wide-ranging as Frank Lloyd Wright, Robert Venturi, Louis Kahn, and Allan Greenberg.

On May 31, 2023, the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art partnered with Lutyens Trust America to present a lecture by David Frazer Lewis, Associate Professor of Architectural History at the University of Oxford. His talk explores the seldom-told story of the genesis of the Memorial Volumes, amidst the austerity, rationing, and ascendant modernism of postwar Britain. The presentation traces the Volumes' influence in Britain and the United States through the course of the twentieth century, and the way that their reprinting in the 1980s and now in the 2020s, has allowed Lutyens to remain an inspiration to many architects today.

The Birds & the Bees in Garden Design

When was the last time you talked about the birds and the bees with your design clients? This engaging talk by Melissa Reavis, residential studio director of Hollander Design Landscape Architects, may encourage you to have a new kind of design conversation. Drawing on the firm’s inspiring design portfolio of residential properties around the world, Reavis leaves no doubt about the imperatives and possibilities for designing healthy landscapes that benefit insects, plants, animals and humans. Reavis shows how biodiversity in residential garden settings can be designed within any aesthetic and enhance the overall experience of a landscape and its connection to architecture.

Inspired Journeys: How Travel Provides the Spark for Great Design

On Tuesday, March 10, 2020, the ICAA hosted a conversation with Deborah Needleman, Lisa Fine, Miguel Flores-Vianna, and Tom Scheerer on how travel influences and inspires beautiful design today.

Deborah Needleman is a writer, editor, and consultant. She was most recently editor in chief of T Magazine at The New York Times. Previously, she was editor in chief at WSJ Magazine, and creator of the paper’s Saturday lifestyle section Off Duty. She was the founder and editor in chief of Domino magazine at Conde Nast. Deborah has written extensively on style, design, craft and culture, including, most recently, the ‘Material Culture’ column at the New York Times. She is currently researching craft traditions around the world, and practicing craft in a studio on the Lower East Side and in the Hudson Valley.

Textile guru Lisa Fine is the founder of Lisa Fine Textiles, which specializes in hand printed linens originally inspired by India's colors, patterns, Mughal palaces, and gardens. Since then Fine’s far reaching travels have continued to influence her collection, where exotic and traditional prints in vibrant and romantic colors feel both worldly and timeless. Her work has appeared in countless publications, and prior to designing textiles, she worked as a contributing editor for Elle Decor and House Beautiful. She is currently a contributing editor for Town & Country. Her book, Near & Far: Interiors I Love, was published in October 2019 by Vendome.

Miguel Flores-Vianna is an author and photographer based in London. In 2017 his book on interiors Haute Bohemians was named the Design book of the year by T Magazine. His travel book A Wandering Eye, entirely shot with his phone, was published in September 2019. In the fall of 2020 Vendome Publishing will release a book on the work and homes of the designer Nathalie Farman-Farma shot by Flores-Vianna. Two further books, entirely shot by Miguel will be published by Rizzoli in 2021, one will be a personal view on Jefferson’s Monticello, and the second on the interiors of the Chateau de Haroué in the Lorraine.

Tom Scheerer has been practicing architectural and interior design in Manhattan since 1985. His work is characterized by clear and logical architectural solutions combined with beautiful, comfortable furnishings.

A Universal Language in Stone and Steel: Architectural Poetics, Globally Considered

On Thursday, June 20, the ICAA hosted Nathaniel Walker, Assistant Professor of Architectural History at the College of Charleston, for a lecture designed to introduce students to a broader conception of the “classical,” and post the argument that classicists working today would do well to demonstrate how their work speaks a universal language of value to the greater human family.

When one hears the phrase “classical architecture,” it is usually the forms of the Classical Mediterranean that come to mind: Greco-Roman columns and pediments, with perhaps a sprinkling of Egyptian pyramids and a dash of Assyrian tile. There are, however, other cultural periods that have been described as “classical”—scholars speak of Classical Chinese culture, the Classic Maya, and the Classical period of Ile-Ife in ancient Nigeria. Great achievements in art and architecture have taken place all over the world, and there are striking similarities between different traditions, including the architectural poetics of structural elaboration, human-scaled proportion, and ornamental pattern. These similarities are meaningful, because they point to the kinship shared by all human beings.

'Perfection is One Thing': Chatsworth and the Art of Capability Brown

On Thursday, July 11, 2019, the ICAA hosted John Phibbs, noted author and principal of Debois Landscape Survey Group, for a lecture on landscape gardener Capability Brown. Brown is credited with creating much of the parkland surrounding Chatsworth, and throughout his lecture, Phibbs explores the genius of Brown’s designs and addresses the ways in which landscapes challenge our understanding of what we consider to be art. The lecture can now be viewed here in its entirety.

This was the first lecture in the ICAA’s 2019 New York Summer Series in partnership with Sotheby’s, designed to coincide with Treasures from Chatsworth, an exhibition of one of the largest and most significant private art collections in Britain.

Chatsworth: The Complete Work of Art

On Wednesday, July 24, 2019, the ICAA hosted Clive Aslet, noted writer, commentator, historian, novelist, editor, and lecturer, for a talk about the iconic art collection at Chatsworth House.

In his talk, Aslet explored the diversity of artworks that have been collected at Chatsworth over the years, including paintings from Rembrandt and Lucian Freud, modern ceramics, ancient sculptures, minuscule cameos, expansive gardens, and more. Aslet also looks at the personalities responsible for curating and maintaining the artworks through the generations, and the mark that each left on the collection as a whole. The lecture can now be viewed here in its entirety.

This was the second lecture in the ICAA’s 2019 New York Summer Series in partnership with Sotheby’s, designed to coincide with Treasures from Chatsworth, an exhibition of one of the largest and most significant private art collections in Britain.

Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire

On Tuesday, August 27, 2019, the ICAA hosted Dr. Amanda Foreman, noted author and historian, for a talk about one of Chatsworth’s most famous residents, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

Dr. Foreman, who wrote the award-winning bestseller Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire, shared fascinating insights into the life and times of the Duchess and the ways in which her life was shaped by marrying into the Devonshire family and moving into Chatsworth House. The lecture can now be viewed here in its entirety.

This was the third lecture in the ICAA’s 2019 New York Summer Series in partnership with Sotheby’s, designed to coincide with Treasures from Chatsworth, an exhibition of one of the largest and most significant private art collections in Britain.

Adventures with the English Country House

On Tuesday, August 27, 2019, the ICAA hosted Ben Pentreath, renowned architectural and interior designer, to discuss his lifelong passion for the English Country House.

From great houses like Chatsworth, to the humbler manor homes and buildings that weave together the landscape of the English Countryside, Pentreath explores the importance of restoring these homes, as well as using them as inspiration for new projects.

This was the fourth lecture in the ICAA’s 2019 New York Summer Series in partnership with Sotheby’s, designed to coincide with Treasures from Chatsworth, an exhibition of one of the largest and most significant private art collections in Britain.

A Discussion on the Frick Collection with Director Ian Wardropper and Annabelle Selldorf

Ian Wardropper, Director of the Frick Collection, presents an overview of the goals for the renovation of the Collection's building in New York City, and explains why the building needs to be updated to better house the Collection and meet the needs of visitors. Annabelle Selldorf, Principal of Selldorf Architects, walks the audience through the proposed plans, and how they address each of these needs. A lively question and answer session gives impassioned members of the public an opportunity to weigh in on the changes to the beloved Frick mansion.

A Slice of England with India Hicks

Design legends and lifelong friends India Hicks and Alexa Hampton speak at a sold-out event hosted by the ICAA in collaboration with the New York School of Interior Design. During their lively discussion, the pair candidly talks about the inspiration for India’s book India Hicks: A Slice of England, available through Rizzoli.

Napoleon's Architects

Barry Bergdoll discusses the renowned work of "Napoleon's architects," Charles Percier (1764-1838) and Pierre Fontaine (1762-1853). Percier and Fontaine were not only the Emperor's official government architects, but two of the most celebrated teachers at the legendary Ecole des Beaux-Arts, responsible for developing the highly influential neoclassical Empire, or Directoire, style of design. This insightful lecture was filmed in its entirety and can now be viewed online.

Barry Bergdoll is Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History at Columbia University and former chief curator of Architecture & Design at the Museum of Modern Art (2007-14). A specialist in 18^th and 19^th century French and German architecture, he is the author of numerous books on modern architecture, including European Architecture 1750-1890, in the Oxford History of Art series published in 2000. He was also co-curator of the exhibition “Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light” at MoMA in 2013, where he also curated exhibitions on Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Latin American modern architecture, and the Bauhaus. He is currently completing a book on the history of exhibiting architecture, based on the Mellon Lectures delivered at the National Gallery of Art in 2013.

20th Century Architecture in New York

Architectural Historian Francis Morrone presents an in-depth look at the evolution of architecture in New York City throughout the 20th Century. Viewers may receive 1.5 AIA CES Learning Units|Elective and 1.5 credits towards the Certificate in Classical Architecture (Elective) by watching this video and subsequently scoring at least 70% on a quiz that tests your understanding of the material.

Historic Brickwork: A Design Resource

Architectural Historian Calder Loth explores different brickwork styles found on American buildings from the colonial period into the twentieth century, including discussion on European origins, regional styles, brick manufacturing, mortar joint types, as well as decorative details.

Formality & Informality with Arne Maynard

Landscape designer Arne Maynard speaks about the balance between formal and informal elements in his landscapes and gardens. The program was co-hosted by the ICAA and Architectural Digest in New York City.

Arne Maynard is an international landscape designer with a portfolio of high profile clients. He is an RHS Gold Medal and Best in Show winning designer, and is hailed by his profession as one of the most important landscape designers working today. He is also the author of several books including his latest, The Gardens of Arne Maynard.