Ran across these photos of Brutalism Architecture on the internet today. I find them intriguing. They reminded me that Brutalism Architecture was one of Gregory's favorites. 

 

 Torre Blancas, Madrid (above & below)

When we visited friends in Boston, we toured the Boston City Hall. Gregory explained the Brutalism form to me as "new buildings designed to look like ruins." It derives its name, in fact, from the French phrase “béton brut,” meaning raw concrete—the material favored by the incomparable Le Corbusier, one of Gregory's favorite architects.

Boston City Hall, Boston, MA

Few movements in architectural history have been as polarizing as Brutalism. Enthusiasts are few and far between, but they work tirelessly to keep Brutalist monuments not just in the public eye, but out of the path of the wrecking ball.

Although the term “Brutalism” aptly reflects the school's characteristic hulking forms, it derives, in fact, from the French phrase “béton brut,” meaning raw concrete—the material favored by the incomparable Le Corbusier, architect of the seminal 1952 Unité d'Habitation apartment block in Marseille, France.

Less than a decade after its birth in Europe, Brutalist architecture could be found around the globe. A darling of Eastern Bloc nations during the Cold War, Brutalism also took hold in the United States during the 1960s, championed by Federal commissions. In addition to government buildings, the Brutalist aesthetic also infiltrated University campuses and spawned a large number of ecclesiastical edifices.

Although Le Corbusier is regarded by many as the father of Brutalism, it was Hungarian industrial-designer-turned-architect Marcel Breuer who made the most lasting impact on the American Brutalist landscape, erecting dozens of structures across the country. Although New York City's Whitney Museum decamped from its original Breuer-designed premises in 2015, the rechristened “Breuer Building” preserves the architect's legacy.

Other Brutalist buildings have not fared as well. As they approach late middle age, many Brutalist structures are now in a shocking state of disrepair. Unloved and unwanted, they risk demolition, clearing the way for new construction on what is often deemed valuable urban real estate. Sadly, a number of important Brutalist masterpieces have already been lost, including Bertrand Goldberg's Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago and Seattle's Moore House Annex, which previously housed a nuclear reactor on the University of Washington campus.

 https://thestacker.com

CLICK HERE: for photos of "Brutalism Architecture" in Europe (opens in a new window)

CLICK HERE for photos of "Brutalism Architecture" in the U.S. (opens in a new window)

Gregory Maire Architect Ltd

Click here to visit Gregory's architecture site http://www.maire.com 

His specialty was the ability to listen to and give his clients what they wanted and/or to help them figure out what it was they wanted if uncertain. In his interview he would ask questions about how they live, what is important to them, how they entertain, what a quiet Sunday morning at home is like, how they prepare to go to sleep at night.

He would take copious notes and explain to the client that he was going to "disappear" for a few weeks and would get back with a beginning snapshot of what their home (or renovation) might look like. 

99% of the time, the clients loved his ideas and had only to do a little fine tuning to make it entirely their own. Gregory's clients, for the most part, LOVED him! 

Gregory was good with all types of architectural styles but especially loved Modern and historically correct constructions and renovations. He favorite architects were Lutyens, Adler, and Ando.

Below, an historically correct French Chateau,

designed by Gregory in Denver, Colorado.