Background
He is the son of Charles W. Belfoure and Polish immigrant, teacher and writer Kristine Vetulani. He grew up in Woodlawn, the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland and attended to Woodlawn High School.
(Perhaps no other American city is so defined by an indige...)
Perhaps no other American city is so defined by an indigenous architectural style as Baltimore is by the rowhouse, whose brick facades march up and down the gentle hills of the city. Why did the rowhouse thrive in Baltimore? How did it escape destruction here, unlike in many other historic American cities? What were the forces that led to the citywide renovation of Baltimore's rowhouses? The Baltimore Rowhouse is the fascinating 200-year story of this building type. It chronicles the evolution of the rowhouse from its origins as speculative housing for immigrants, through its reclamation and renovation by young urban pioneers thanks to local government sponsorship, to its current occupation by a new cadre of wealthy professionals. The Baltimore Rowhouse was winner of the 2000 Maryland Historical Trust Heritage Book Award for outstanding books of scholarly or general interest.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568982836/?tag=2022091-20
( From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris...)
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Architect "The world of old New York comes alive in this beguiling tale of mystery and intrigue... Charles Belfoure definitely has the touch." ―Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Patriot Threat and The Lincoln Myth The Debt Must Be Repaid ― or Else In 1886 New York, a respectable architect shouldn't have any connection to the notorious gang of thieves and killers that rules the underbelly of the city. But when John Cross's son racks up an unfathomable gambling debt to Kent's Gents, Cross must pay it back himself. All he has to do is use his inside knowledge of high society mansions and museums to craft a robbery even the smartest detectives won't solve. The take better include some cash too ―the bigger the payout, the faster this will be over. With a newfound talent for sniffing out vulnerable and lucrative targets, Cross becomes invaluable to the gang. But Cross's entire life has become a balancing act, and it will only take one mistake for it all to come crashing down ―and for his family to go down too.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/149261789X/?tag=2022091-20
(To understand the evolution of bank design, it is also ne...)
To understand the evolution of bank design, it is also necessary to grasp the fundamentals of America's banking and financial history, which go hand-in-hand with the creation of bank architecture. While the worldwide evolution of architectural styles played a major factor in the way banks look, developments in the financial history of the nation--depressions, panics, government monetary and banking policy--also played a critical role. With more than 200 photographs and illustrations, this work studies the evolution of American bank architecture from 1781 (when America's first bank was founded) to new banks of the present day. It explores how and why the classically inspired structures built in late 18th century America, embodying strength and trust, evolved into the essentially anonymous bank buildings of today.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786464135/?tag=2022091-20
(The New York Times Bestseller "A beautiful and elegant ...)
The New York Times Bestseller "A beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man's unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the second world war." --Malcolm Gladwell A thrilling debut novel of World War II Paris, from an author who's been called "an up and coming Ken Follett." (Booklist) In 1942 Paris, gifted architect Lucien Bernard accepts a commission that will bring him a great deal of money - and maybe get him killed. But if he's clever enough, he'll avoid any trouble. All he has to do is design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man, a space so invisible that even the most determined German officer won't find it. He sorely needs the money, and outwitting the Nazis who have occupied his beloved city is a challenge he can't resist. But when one of his hiding spaces fails horribly, and the problem of where to hide a Jew becomes terribly personal, Lucien can no longer ignore what's at stake. The Paris Architect asks us to consider what we owe each other, and just how far we'll go to make things right. Written by an architect whose knowledge imbues every page, this story becomes more gripping with every soul hidden and every life saved.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402294158/?tag=2022091-20
He is the son of Charles W. Belfoure and Polish immigrant, teacher and writer Kristine Vetulani. He grew up in Woodlawn, the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland and attended to Woodlawn High School.
Belfoure graduated from the Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1983 and from the Columbia University with a Master of Science in Real Estate Development in 1993. His son Christopher graduated in history from West Virginia University in 2010.
He taught at Pratt and at the Goucher College in Baltimore and has been a freelance writer for The New York Times and The Baltimore Sun. He is a specialist in historic preservation. He published several architectural histories and was a recipient of a Graham Foundation national grant for architectural research.
He lives in Westminster, Maryland.
He died in 2011 due to a fatal ATV accident. A memorial scholarship – The Christopher Belfoure Chinese Studies Travel Abroad Fund – was established to honor his memory.
Charles" second child is daughter Julie. The Paris Architect, Belfoure"s first novel, was published by Sourcebooks Landmark on October 8, 2013 in the United States. lieutenant follows the story of a French architect Lucien Bernard who"s paid to create temporary hiding places for Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris.
The book received generally positive reviews.
Malcolm Gladwell of The Guardian chose The Paris Architect his favourite book of 2013, calling it „a beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man"s unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the second world war”. Belfoure"s debut in fiction was found among finalists of the 2015 International Dublin Literary Award and hitted The New York Times best seller list in an e-book category in July 2015. Belfoure"s second novel House of Thieves was published on September 15, 2015.
Secretariat in 1886 New York, it"s a story of an architect forced to join a criminal gang and plan robberies of the buildings he’s designed to pay off his son’s debts.
Publishers Weekly praised the work, pointing that „Belfoure holds together each and every thread of the novel, resulting in a most memorable, evocative read”. Jocelyn McClurg of United States of America Today gave the book 3 out of 4 stars saying that „channeling Dickens, Belfoure designs a rollicking story but overloads on improbabilities.
Number matter – it’s a blueprint for great fun”. House of Thieves is to be adapted for television by the Mark Gordon Company.
Francis Lawrence is said to direct the series.
Belfoure uses his architectural background to construct the plot in his novels. He never took any creative writing lessons. He said that he „hesitated writing fiction” but discovered that John Grisham who also never practiced writing has been using his legal background for his fiction works.
Belfoure decided to use his own knowledge in the field of architecture in a similar way.
Among titles that infuenced him most he points Robert Moses" The Power Broker, William Golding"s Lord of the Flies and works by Thomas Hardy, including Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge. Currently Belfoure is working on his third novel that is going to be set in 1905 in England and tell the story of an architect in the world of British musical.
(To understand the evolution of bank design, it is also ne...)
(Perhaps no other American city is so defined by an indige...)
(The New York Times Bestseller "A beautiful and elegant ...)
( From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris...)
(THE PARIS ARCHITECT By Belfoure, Charles ( Author ) Hardc...)