Editors’ Note

2 The issue of architectural style is a staple of traditional architectural history and, despite the emergence of new and exciting analytical methodologies that have broadened the frontiers of the field, stylistic analysis remains a fertile avenue of inquiry, as the articles in this year’s volume of Arris attest. Far from merely identifying defining characteristics of particular stylistic traditions, they reveal the complex and often-fraught nature of architectural styles, their legacies and meanings. Although the three articles address topics spanning over two hundred and fifty years from the early eighteenth century to the late twentieth, they all remind us how the legacy of architectural traditions resonates in later generations and specifically with individuals in deeply personal ways. Travis McDonald uncovers the remarkably complex relationship that Thomas Jefferson had to the architectural legacy of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. His analysis goes well beyond the cosmetic resemblances of motifs to explore how Jefferson embraced Palladio’s holistic theory and practice of architecture, including the generative steps in the development of a design. Yet McDonald reveals Jefferson’s own inflection of the Palladian tradition and the degree to which Poplar Forest represents in many ways Jefferson’s most personal architectural expression. Anna Nau sheds new light on the legacy of colonial Spanish heritage in early twentieth-century San Antonio in the context of that city’s early historic preservation movement. In particular, she probes the positioning of that legacy relative to evolving political, social and economic imperatives, charting the shift from symbols of a romantic colonial past to their role in the redefinition of San Antonio’s modern identity in the twentieth century. By focusing on the efforts of the leading preservation advocates, Nau reveals the degree to which individuals ultimately shape our understanding of history. Stephen James reveals another side to the impact of Spanish colonial heritage in Texas by analyzing the work of architect Kenneth Bentsen. Unlike Jefferson, who looked to one architectural master – Palladio – for guidance, Bentsen, as James adeptly shows, struggled to reconcile two architectural masters – the broader movement of international modernism and the compelling allure of regional traditions. James’s analysis allows us, like McDonald’s, to gain insight into the personal dimensions and challenges an architect faced in carrying out a design – or in this case, a series of large institutional commissions that collectively became the masterwork of his career. In keeping with the Field Notes essays, Rob Craig addresses a methodological question: how to develop a compelling thesis. By a happy coincidence, his essay also probes issues of relationships to the past and between teacher and student. He unpacks this age-old problem through the perspective of his ownteachingcareerandhisone-on-oneinteractionswithstudents, articulated as a Socratic dialogue. The essay is a reminder of the tremendous value Arris has for educators and for helping shape each of our relationships to the past. The books reviewed this year, by contrast, allow us to zoom out and consider broader perspectives, ranging from the cemeteries of New Orleans and modern architecture in Mexico City to the relationships between political and built landscapes in ten cities across history. We thank Vandana Beweja for her excellent stewardship of the book review section over the past three years. Our collective editorial work on Arris also owes a great debt to the outstanding graphic design work of Maria Sinisterra, who has established an exciting new look for this well-established journal. Celeste Lovette Guichard and Robin B. Williams Editors’ Note ...