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Washington Monument Robert Mills originally designed the Washington Monument which was later completed by Thomas Casey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project was designed during the Greek Revival period as a memorial in order to honor George Washington in the center of our nation's capital. Robert Mills began the first phase of construction in 1848 and finished in 1854. The first phase of construction by Robert Mills was under private funding, where they had difficulties raising funds. The cornerstone was laid on July 4th 1984. “ Builders commenced work on the blue gneiss foundation, an 80-foot square step pyramid. With the substructure completed, the builders then proceeded to the above-ground marble structure, 55 feet, 1.5 inches square at the base, using a system of pulleys, block and tackle systems, and a mounted derrick to hoist and place the stones, inching the structure skyward. By 1854, the monument had reached a height of 156 feet above ground”. The Archite...

FUTURO is Here Again Images by Author.  Overall view of assembly (L); Southern hospitality (R) The Futuro House at  1304 Panferio Dr.  in Pensacola Florida is a local icon.  Sited atop a one-story concrete block base, the plain white "flying saucer" taunts passing motorists with two aliens peering out of one of its elliptical window portals and a third alien at the grade level glass door behind a bright orange sign reading "KEEP OUT".  While these feeble efforts hardly deter the curious, they underscore local curiosity and reflect how along with a  kitchy neon sign  and a  beach-ball themed water tower  this home is just as much a cultural icon of the area. The Futuro House is one example of what are believed to be around  60 extant Futuro homes worldwide .  Introduced in 1968 by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, these space-age pods were meant to be deployed and easily assembled even in rugged mountain terrain, sandy ...