50 DIGS.NET
| 2.25.2022
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P R O F I L E | M R A R C H I T E C T U R E
OUNDER OF MANHATTAN FIRM MR Architecture + Décor, David
Mann's more minimal brand of architecture would seem,
on the surface, at odds with 18th-century anything, not
least the red-bricked house he shares with his partner Fritz
Karch. And yet, this piece of Hudson Valley architectural
history, located mere steps from the first courthouse in the state
of New York, had much to recommend it to Mann, namely its
robust alignment with his own ideas of aesthetics, design, and
architecture. "It is classical, formal, and starkly spare in detail and
composition," he explains. "Most of my work is contemporary, but
my own inclinations are classical, formal, and minimal, if not spare."
Mann is hardly a top-down historicist, but he loves old houses. "I
also love house tours of historic homes, especially ones that are
intact with original furnishings," he confesses. "Having said that, I
am often puzzled by people who are actually living in period-per-
fect homes that are furnished and accessorized in a style that has
little to no relation to how they actually live. In these cases, I half
expect to see the owners dressed in period-perfect waistcoats
and hoop skirts. My lifestyle and personal domestic needs are
F
