The Architecture Tourist

You might say Terry Kearns is a connoisseur of useless beauty.

That’s not to say he’s opposed to the functional kind – only that the random grace notes he notices while driving around town seem to give him the deepest joy.

As the engaging blogger Architecture Tourist, the former BellSouth computer programmer has been documenting the things that have caught his eye or imagination – the built environment, gallery openings, architecture lectures and tours on his blog since 2008.

It’s not just his photographs of things you’ve probably driven past a million times without a second glance that make his blog such a must-read. You can’t predict what he’ll stumble upon next, and his sense of joy in discovery is catching.

So I was thrilled to meet Kearns (rhymes with burns) in person at a recent art opening, where I begged him to let me tag along on one of his drives, and asked if he’d point out a few favorite spots in Virginia-Highland.

The afternoon of our drive started with a quick tour of the renovated Morningside ranch where he and his wife JoAnn raised their three children (all grown, living nearby). It’s a story unto itself that allows him to note that he’s not an architect, just a fan of things made well. When it came to his own “minimal traditional” house, he said, he let the experts – Georgia Tech fraternity brother and architect Bill Harrison in particular – make the place come together in ways he never could have.

And did he ever. (Read Kearns’ account of the gradual transformation here

“I just said, ‘here’s our family, here’s our amount of money,’ and trusted him to do the design,” Kearns said. “I like it every time I walk in the door.”

Typical understatement. I was finding it hard to leave – but felt the wider neighborhood calling. So off we went in his silver Camry to check out the gems of Virginia-Highland, which he’s discovered, he says, by “cruising around” on errands for his wife.

I was glad he didn’t show me fancy mansions I’d already admired – though he certainly loves those too, and mentioned some of the more memorable he’d recently visited as part of the Georgia Trust Phoenix Flies series of tours.

Everyday workhorses, put together back in a time when they made things to last, have a subtle beauty he prizes.

 “I love the apartments on Virginia Avenue,” he confessed. “They’re all special to me – they were built at a time when they were built to look special.”

Take, for example, 1166 and 1161, all stately red brick and white trim, with classical details – arched entryway supported by columns; scrollwork around the windows – that make them stand out from the crowd.

A little further up the road, Kearns turned into the Virginia Court Apartments, built in 1926.

“I love these so much,” he said, noting the “awesome columns” and door surrounds.

He pulled up to the curb so I could get a better look.

“They didn’t need to do that,” he said of the doorframe, which curves down gently into a scroll. “It just looks great.”

And that idea – of tiny details made beautifully, just because – was one he returned to again and again.

After appreciating the way the Virginia Court offers great views from most directions, we checked out a slew of other graceful old apartment buildings. I made a note to come back and study the lineup on Briarcliff sometime when I was walking, as it was hard to see them through their screen of trees.

We spent a little more time at two of his favorites, which use classical elements like columns, pediments and scrolls to create a sense of dramatic rightness.

Kearns considers the St. Charles Apartments (1025-1027 St. Charles Avenue) “one of the greatest,” but his absolute favorite is The Colonnades on North Highland.

Part home, part garden, all divine.

“This architecture,” he said, looking up,” makes humans feel important.” 

You don’t even have to live there to notice how great they are. Just stop and take a closer look next time you’re passing by.

“I love stumbling on those things that reward you every time you look at them,” he said. “Even this column” – he pointed to the plain, unpainted square post at the corner of Belly, at the corner of St. Charles and North Highland.

Once we started looking at houses, there were too many to count, in styles too numerous to remember.

The Cape Dutch at 1086 St. Charles.

The charming little house with big windows at 979 Lanier.

The hidden marvel at 886 Amsterdam, which looks like an Asian garden without a house, until you look closer and notice the clean, plain lines of an addition that, it turns out, was designed by Rural Studio (and MacArthur genius grantee) Samuel Mockbee

But don’t take my word for it. Lend an ear – and your eyes – to the Architecture Tourist, who knows about more cool places than most people forget.