Temperature: 19°C high; 13°C low Season: spring Travel time from UK: 2 hours 35 minutes Time difference: GMT +1 Nothing brings a spring to the step quite like the sight of Italy's glorious Amalfi coast. Particularly in March, when its vertiginous twists are bathed in a daily average eight hours of sun. Cliffs plunge into the Tyrrhenian Sea, topped with grand palazzos and smart hotels. Narrow, Roman lanes are stuffed with limoncello stalls flogging the boozy spoils of Sorrento's famous fruit. Its snoozy air and pastel-coloured houses are pure Italian cinema: you might even swear you've seen a young Sophia Loren looking impossibly saucy by the quay. Do as the Italians do and spend the lazy, romantic days enjoying a long aperitivo . Don't miss fresh fritto misto at Marina Grande, the town's old fishing harbour, or Michelin-starred Il Buco in the cellars of an old monastery, where chef Peppe Aversa serves seasonal ingredients under a stone-hewn, vaulted ceiling. Th...
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Cool Spaces: The evolution of the concrete-block home on Staten Island - SILive.com
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Driving around Staten Island, I began to notice a few concrete-block-like homes.
I thought it was probably a smart way to build sustainable, long-lasting homes. But after researching them, I found that concrete blocks were first used in the United States to replace stone or wood in the construction of homes right here on Staten Island in 1837.
Until the 1930s, the most famous face designs were rock face and panel face.
Many of these houses were built in the midwestern states, seemingly because the raw materials needed to make concrete blocks could be found throughout the region. Sometimes houses used stucco or other coatings over the block structure.
"Cement block houses, though energy efficient, are costly to construct," said local architect Ronald Victorio. "With today's energy standardsm an insulated interior wall would also need to be constructed, which would double the costs."
Many other buildings, including garages, silos and post offices, were built using this construction method, and some continue to be made that way today.
This is a beautiful cement block home on the corner of Cromwell Avenue and Plattsburg Street in Dongan Hills, with an office, it was built in 1920. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
A garage next to the home on Cromwell Ave. is a newer cement block structure. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
This is a beautiful cement block home on the corner of Cromwell Avenue and Plattsburg Street in Dongan Hills, with an office, it was built in 1920. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
This is a beautiful cement block home on the corner of Cromwell Avenue and Plattsburg Street in Dongan Hills, with an office, it was built in 1920. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
Detail of basement window of cement block house on the corner of Cromwell Avenue and Plattsburg Street in Dongan Hills, built 1920. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
This is a beautiful cement block home on the corner of Cromwell Avenue and Plattsburg Street in Dongan Hills, with an office, it was built in 1920. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
23 St Marks Place was built in 1910, with cement blocks on the first floor, mixed with second floor of wood. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
23 St Marks Place is built in 1910, with cement blocks on the lower level and mixed with second floor of wood. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
A large garage type structure is made of cement blocks on Harbor Road in Mariners Harbor. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)
Known as the 'Cement House', George A. Ward built his home on Staten Island, New York in 1837, becoming America's first concrete block residential home! (https://www.facebook.com/BlockStrong/photos/known-as-the-cement-house-george-a-ward-built-his-home-on-staten-island-new-york/823400527850677/)
This beautiful three story building sits at 60 Spring Street in Concord was built in 1910. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)
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