https://www.onerafoundation.org/events daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://www.onerafoundation.org/events/book-talk-the-us-embassies-of-the-cold-war-the-battle-of-the-curtain-wall-vs-the-iron-curtain-by-david-b-peterson monthly 0.5 2026-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/e895c775-8be4-4edb-9f95-33a44c972348/Onera_DavidBPeterson.jpg Events - Book Talk: The US Embassies of the Cold War: The Battle of the Curtain Wall vs. the Iron Curtain by David B. Peterson - Book Talk: The US Embassies of the Cold War: The Battle of the Curtain Wall vs. the Iron Curtain by David B. Peterson Join David B. Peterson, Founder & President of the Onera Foundation, at the New Canaan Library Jim & Dede Bartlett Auditorium for his lecture The US Embassies of the Cold War: The Battle of the Curtain Wall vs. the Iron Curtain. During the Cold War, the US State Department used modern architecture as a powerful form of cultural diplomacy, designing embassies to express the ideals of a progressive, democratic society. Peterson’s talk is based on his book US Embassies of the Cold War: the Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense, a large-format, photo-driven book featuring the fourteen most significant midcentury modern American embassies designed by leading architects, including: Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Eero Saarinen, and Edward Durell Stone. Today, many of the Cold War embassies are being decommissioned and sold, and their future remains uncertain. https://www.onerafoundation.org/events/window-awnings-as-a-climate-strategy monthly 0.5 2026-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/e6a0f20e-075b-4aa6-b161-836ef0fe4d45/Onera_AnneMFoster.jpg Events - Passive Cooling Revisited: Window Awnings as a Climate Strategy for Historic Buildings - Talk with Anne Maxwell Foster Join the Onera Foundation for a presentation by preservation research fellow Anne Maxwell Foster, Passive Cooling Revisited: Window Awnings as a Climate Strategy for Historic Buildings. Once integral to how buildings responded to summer heat, window awnings have largely disappeared from the contemporary built environment—despite their proven effectiveness. This talk revisits the awning as a forgotten but powerful tool for passive cooling, demonstrating how exterior shading can reduce indoor temperatures, improve thermal comfort, and significantly increase energy efficiency in existing buildings. Combining architectural history, building science, and energy performance analysis, Foster brings together established scholarship with new technical findings to reassess the awning’s potential role in addressing today’s climate challenges. The presentation begins with a richly illustrated overview of the rise and fall of window awnings in New York City’s architectural history, situating them within broader cultural, technological, and regulatory shifts. Technical questions of performance and effectiveness are then explored through a focused case study of a 1901 apartment building in Harlem, where energy modeling reveals measurable reductions in cooling demand. Building on this work, Foster introduces expanded research supported by the Onera Prize for Historic Preservation, extending the methodology beyond a single building to evaluate the potential impact of awnings across a range of historic building typologies throughout New York City. By translating technical findings into accessible guidance for preservationists, architects, building owners, policymakers, and the public, the research ultimately calls for a renewed understanding of awnings as a practical, low-impact climate strategy—and highlights their overlooked role in shaping a more sustainable future for historic buildings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770225391678-GQF6Z1P89ZSSKXOYDWQ1/04+McEvoy+English+Garden+Homes+MCNY.JPG Events - Passive Cooling Revisited: Window Awnings as a Climate Strategy for Historic Buildings https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770225392390-DLWMK7V8NZODF15DF8A8/05_+Metropolitan+Club+NYPL.JPG Events - Passive Cooling Revisited: Window Awnings as a Climate Strategy for Historic Buildings https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770225393379-3NGU3TJ90JI00LPW66LE/02_Flatiron+1908+LOC.JPG Events - Passive Cooling Revisited: Window Awnings as a Climate Strategy for Historic Buildings https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770225393479-NR2KLN6MW6S6WHA01AYY/01_65+W+89+1915+NYPL.JPG Events - Passive Cooling Revisited: Window Awnings as a Climate Strategy for Historic Buildings https://www.onerafoundation.org/events/us-embassy-in-dublin monthly 0.5 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770326672731-UEL4X9TJ0ASAVRAOP31V/12-Dublin-09.jpg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770413419324-EV7AWPQE0DBVB0HLOMVQ/America+at+Home+by+Cormac+Murray+Book+Cover.jpg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770328193536-688EAG11FRJP6TW9TIW2/12-Dublin-03.jpeg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770328192482-5DO2FYSQFMDI217UFU9R/12-Dublin-05.jpeg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770328192615-2FSVBL4PK3PER6CYUV3O/12-Dublin-04.jpeg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770411932878-EN498AQTOGTLUTI8I3A1/Cormac+Square.jpg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770830918784-7VYADPYO3QDAUTPP0NQI/C+Johansen+9-23-2025-3.jpg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770411922246-LXQ9KKJIU84NODV45O8K/NormanMcgrath_Square.jpg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1770486429577-40C3SB614COO52U1JKAK/GeorgeSmart_Photo_NMG_image001.jpg Events - America at Home — The Architecture and Politics of the US Embassy in Dublin https://www.onerafoundation.org/events/eero-saarinen monthly 0.5 2025-11-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1751937591897-8PGLNLF1E4RTJ7CJNSWY/USEmbassyOslo+1959.jpeg Events - Eero Saarinen’s Legacy Abroad   - Make it stand out Entrance to the US Embassy in Oslo, designed by Eero Saarinen in 1959. US Department of State, Image courtesy of the National Archives https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1756839988935-JM3T45GD89M01QN0SJXJ/Pelkonen+headshot%5B30%5D.jpg Events - Eero Saarinen’s Legacy Abroad   Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Assistant Dean at Yale School of Architecture and author of Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1756840005284-FGNRBNYXLQV52X4MC3S0/David+B+Peterson+copy.jpg Events - Eero Saarinen’s Legacy Abroad   David Peterson, author of U.S. Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1756839988974-T2SBF0PKSUB1LPXW8U6F/2021_JorgeOtero-Pailos%40HoltermannFineArtHeadshot2.png Events - Eero Saarinen’s Legacy Abroad   Jorge Otero-Pailos, Artist, Preservation Architect and Director of the Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. https://www.onerafoundation.org/events/harvard-five monthly 0.5 2025-11-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/ba744883-6e8b-4c89-81ce-c5209d63afb7/12-Dublin-01.jpg Events - The Harvard Five Legacy: From Modern Homes to Diplomatic Landmarks - Make it stand out Entrance to the US Embassy in Dublin, designed by John Johansen in 1957. Image courtesy of the Department of Drawings and Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, c. 1957. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1756840142062-UGU1S2E1W9I7XXR4NIGX/Kirsten+Reoch+2.png Events - The Harvard Five Legacy: From Modern Homes to Diplomatic Landmarks Kirsten Reoch, Executive Director, The Glass House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1756840140852-URZGRX0B7DR81ZVYLBO1/BarryBergdoll%5B75%5D.jpg Events - The Harvard Five Legacy: From Modern Homes to Diplomatic Landmarks Barry Bergdoll. Architectural Historian, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History, Department https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1756840140526-969EGQEEIWUOCENYY16V/David+B+Peterson+copy.jpg Events - The Harvard Five Legacy: From Modern Homes to Diplomatic Landmarks David B. Peterson, Founder, Onera Foundation; Author of U.S. Embassies of the Cold War https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1756840141666-RXTDXSNUGU1HJBJ6SIPV/devon+chivvis+%5B48%5D.jpeg Events - The Harvard Five Legacy: From Modern Homes to Diplomatic Landmarks Devon Chivvis, Filmmaker, Director of The Harvard 5 Documentary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1756840157782-OOE2QQ9D49RA6SNL9KCI/2021_JorgeOtero-Pailos%40HoltermannFineArtHeadshot2.png Events - The Harvard Five Legacy: From Modern Homes to Diplomatic Landmarks Jorge Otero-Pailos. Artist, Architect, and Director of Historic Preservation at GSAPP, Columbia University https://www.onerafoundation.org/contact daily 0.75 2025-11-06 https://www.onerafoundation.org/home daily 1.0 2026-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/893ee158-faaf-4102-80a5-496e0a0b99e4/Onera+Foundation-11.jpg Home - About Onera Founded by David B. Peterson, the Onera Foundation advocates for the preservation of historic American architecture by funding exhibitions, innovative public programming, and scholarly research. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1621694137997-HL8U28HVRZPWNYYPK41G/onera_Photo.jpeg Home - Onera Prize The Foundation supports education by funding the Onera Prize at Columbia University. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/5a501e23-0a68-497d-9937-9070cabbfb94/EmbassyCover.png Home - Publications Onera's first publication, US Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy, and Defense by David B. Peterson, explores, through rarely seen images, the unusual and unexpected initiative by the US State Department to build modern embassies around the world during the Cold War designed by some of the world’s most famous architects, including: Eero Saarinen, Marcel Breuer, and Walter Gropius, among others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/6573ba8f-7f0f-493d-951f-7648e7391557/Jorge+Otero-Pailos.+_+Treaties+on+De-Fences_7_web.jpg Home - Exhibitions The Onera Foundation presents exhibitions each year that explore the intersections of art, architecture, and preservation, with a focus on significant American architecture. These exhibitions highlight experimental preservation practices, modernist design, and the evolving role of architecture in shaping culture and public memory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/8c6faac0-00c5-4b02-a6a9-fcb41c8188db/*+Onera+Reception-1.jpg Home - Programs & Events The Onera Foundation organizes free public programs that bring together leading voices in architecture, art, and preservation to explore the cultural significance of American architecture. These events feature expert presentations and panel discussions in collaboration with renowned institutions, offering historical insights and contemporary perspectives on architectural heritage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1621694138002-IEYXPRIDJSEQ32JY73DB/Screen+Shot+2021-05-10+at+4.04.28+PM.png Home - Visit The Onera Foundation is open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays from 12 PM to 5 PM or by appointment. Admission is free with advance registration. https://www.onerafoundation.org/onera-prize daily 0.75 2026-01-06 https://www.onerafoundation.org/about daily 0.75 2025-11-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/dd85b20e-f5e3-4931-9b1f-32901101a126/David+Peterson+Portrait.jpg About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/98a32113-65c8-4319-a24e-2ce7efcfc868/Laurence+Lafforgue+Portrait.jpg About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/3be933cb-dbf6-40ab-9346-ac6443974830/Onera+Foundation_11+copy.jpg About - The House Built in 1836 by Hiram Crissey, a skilled carpenter and deacon of the Congregational Church, this Greek Revival house has served as a boarding house, grammar school, and, most notably from 1924 to 1947, the home of famed editor Maxwell E. Perkins, who discovered literary greats including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Thomas Wolfe. In 1973, architect Richard Bergmann and his wife, Sandra, restored the then-subdivided building into a private home and office, undertaking major structural reinforcement and preserving original woodwork. Under their care, the home became Connecticut’s first Literary Landmark in 2002 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The Onera Foundation acquired the property in 2018. The Foundation’s recent renovation further preserved historic features while creating an ideal venue for exhibitions, lectures, and public programs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/b963135c-2986-4e0d-ae86-02d3c05268eb/Onera+Foundation-12.jpg About - The Gardens Former owner Richard Bergmann, a noted landscape architect and sculptor, designed a modernist garden featuring stepped terraces and preserved the hemlock grove planted by Louise Perkins.The gardens are included in the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens. Three of Bergmann’s sculptures still grace the grounds. https://www.onerafoundation.org/exhibitions daily 0.75 2026-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/457edeec-f4b0-40fd-875a-3bdbe29889b1/TheNewEmbassies_TimeMagazine.jpg Art and Architecture Exhibitions at the Onera Foundation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/35d89a19-865b-4c96-abc5-727a99176044/JorgeOtero-Pailos_DocumentaryForm_OneraFoundation_2025.jpg Art and Architecture Exhibitions at the Onera Foundation https://www.onerafoundation.org/exhibitions/treaties-on-de-fence daily 0.75 2026-02-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/3fda1b86-abdb-47e0-9aad-27a093f04bfb/Onera+Foundation_9.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/5ffa83ed-675d-4a72-89ae-36c8de335e6b/Onera+Foundation_4.jpg 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https://www.onerafoundation.org/book/p/style-03-g2rtt-xp5mz monthly 0.5 2025-10-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1692295404867-M9YOYYBVKB1NRS8JZEYK/3.png US Embassies of the Cold War - US Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1692295406085-OK4UT1K0K5KN2DHBP2VU/2.png US Embassies of the Cold War - US Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1692295403592-KHLZPXU94Q2CA3LF2J8S/1.png US Embassies of the Cold War - US Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1692281480148-WLB3D12A5J3HWTUIC3C1/EmbassyCover.jpg US Embassies of the Cold War - US Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/1692296260002-P8ZNKAWQPVA4HQC62YHI/Screen+Shot+2023-08-17+at+2.16.45+PM.png US Embassies of the Cold War - US Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a916b52bf006163331e609/71ee2c97-3cb8-4af3-8fa5-69432d815913/London.png US Embassies of the Cold War - US Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense