FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 14, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 45
‘All the Queens Houses’: Woodside architect’s book
captures borough’s ‘domestic treasures’ in photos
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
EDITORIALQNS.COM
QNS
About a decade ago, a curious architectphotographer
from Queens, who had a
“thing” for unusual dwellings — and understood
that someone’s abode is, indeed,
their castle — embarked on an adventure
that turned into a wonderful obsession.
While biking and walking around his
beloved borough — where each neighborhood
off ers its own unique fl avor, and
one can see myriad styles refl ected in
homes that are as diverse as the folks who
dwell inside them — Rafael Herrin-Ferri
discovered, and started taking photos of,
Queens’ surprisingly remarkable “domestic
treasures.”
Th e result? An impressive collection
featuring thousands of captivating photographs
that chronicled his amazing
odyssey.
“All the Queens Houses: An Architectural
Portrait Of New York’s Largest and
Most Diverse Borough” was on display at
Th e Architectural League of New York’s
offi ce gallery in Manhattan in 2017. Th e
exhibition showcased almost 300 snapshots
of local “castles” taken across 34
neighborhoods.
Th en, a must-see photography book
followed.
“As I started to get to know the ‘World’s
Borough,’ I was delighted to discover how
unorthodox the housing stock was. Regardless
of socio-economic status, almost
every street of every Queens neighborhood
has some highly idiosyncratic residential
structure exhibiting great personal, cultural
and, in many cases, religious pride.
And it became my mission to discover
them all,” Herrin-Ferri said.
Th e book is now available in stores, as
well as online on Amazon and Barnes &
Noble.
Th is is more than your typical photo
book, according to its author, who points
out that there are 175 short interpretive
texts (i.e. extended captions) that detail
the history of the houses and situate them
in the context of Queens, and includes the
architectural history at times.
Readers can also fi nd a scholarly introductory
essay by New School professor and
celebrated urbanist Joseph Heathcott, as
well as a foreword by Herrin-Ferri.
In order to access every block of the
borough without a car of his own, the roving
architect — who lives on the Sunnyside
and Woodside border, just east of the Celtic
Park Garden Apartment complex — would
rely on his trusty folding bike, which he’d
take on the subway or the Long Island
Rail Road or pop into the trunk of a cab
or Zipcar. Neighborhoods that were more
accessible by subway were explored on foot
or skateboard.
“I have always been interested in exploring
unknown landscapes. When I was
younger, they were mostly natural; now
they are more urban. I especially like to
get a complete picture of the cities in which
I live,” the Spanish-born artist said, noting
that before moving to New York in 2003,
he “thoroughly explored” the cities of San
Francisco and Barcelona, Spain.
As the project progressed, weather was
foremost on Herrin-Ferri’s mind, since he
would spend chunks of his free time taking
photos on cloudy days, when there was a
chance that it could start raining.
“February and March were the best
months for stable cloud cover, which is
best for capturing true colors and architectural
detail; minimal street tree foliage so
there were no leaves blocking façades; and
no holiday decorations, save Valentine’s
Day – not a big one for Queens,” he recalled.
But if the sun came out — aft er a long
subway ride to his destination — he’d have
to go back home, disappointed.
Looking back on those chilly photo sessions,
the author recalled those frustrating
times when his camera and phone batteries
would suddenly get depleted, and he felt as
if his fi ngers were frozen.
“Nevertheless, these were among the best
times surveying, and the times when the
‘mission’ had even more meaning,” he said.
“For the most part, the people I encountered
and who questioned what I was doing, were
very supportive, even complimentary at times.”
But on a couple of occasions, his actions
were misinterpreted and things got a little
“hairy,” he recalled.
“One time, a guy following me in his car
had called the cops. On another occasion,
a homeowner, who also happened to be a
security guard, restrained me, physically,”
Herrin-Ferri said. “In both, I was lucky
enough to be able to convince them of my
artistic intentions, and they let me go.”
“All in all, it was an incredible adventure
into one of the most interesting built environments
I have ever seen,” he added.
Th e lover of eclectic homes spoke about
his favorite Queens neighborhood: Corona.
Herrin-Ferri explained that he liked the
area for “its intricate street patterns and
eclectic mix of housing types that have a
high concentration of ‘living balconies,’”
i.e. furnished balconies that double as
exterior living and dining areas.
And his favorite architectural styles?
“Painted Tudors, polychromatic brick
‘Fedders’ buildings and Janus-faced, twofamily
structures,” Herrin-Ferri said.
What makes Queens really special?
“Its tremendous diversity is refl ected not
only in its food, garments and religion, but
in a wide range of residential structures
that this global community calls home,”
Herrin-Ferri said. “Many of these — at
the small end of the spectrum — are in
what appears to be a slow transformation,
as the ‘World’s Borough’ continually redefi
nes its identity with wave aft er wave of
immigrants.”
He pointed to “the somewhat austere
northern European architectural styles
employed by the original developers
(English, German, Dutch),” which have
been altered “to suit a global demographic
that values bold colors, patterns and exterior
spaces (no empty balconies in this
borough).”
“Apart from the physical structures
themselves, I also believe the urban fabric
of Queens is quite unique. Queens is
a patchwork of small town centers and
villages that grew together, but the village
charm is still there,” Herrin-Ferri said.
“Winding roads and shift ing grid patterns
are a nightmare to navigate by car but lend
the borough a great human scale that is
wonderful to walk, bike and live in.”
Th e Woodside creative, whose family
lives up in Ithaca and in Valencia, Spain,
said he has several friends sprinkled
throughout the borough, but mostly concentrated
in western Queens.
Herrin-Ferri said he fi nished surveying
the borough in 2020, and was able to
work on the book during the COVID-19
pandemic.
“What started more in the tradition of
urban exploration, or rambling, led to
a meticulous system of surveying that
allowed me to complete the project in
under 10 years … or my lifetime, perhaps,”
Herrin-Ferri said.
He said the pandemic allowed him to
focus on his book.
“It has been a blessing in disguise, for the
most part. It allowed me to hunker down
and fi nish this book project, which was
seven years in the making, have a more
fl exible work schedule, and spend some
quality time with my family during weekdays,”
Herrin-Ferri said. “If we can ever put
this pandemic behind us, I hope it teaches
us to strike a better work-life balance. But
I do dearly miss jumping on the train and
the daily interaction with my fellow New
Yorkers in Queens and beyond, without
masks. Th at part has been horrible.”
Prior to this massive project, the multitalented
artist’s work was on display at a
local abstract art exhibit at Bliss on Bliss
Art Projects in Sunnyside, along with fellow
collage artists from the Philippines.
Surprisingly, that “abstract and informal
interest” is part of what Herrin-Ferri refers
to as his “aesthetic criteria for photographing
houses,” and has ignited much of his
passion for all things architecture.
Visit QNS.com to see more photos.
Photos courtesy of Rafael Herrin-Ferri
Rafael Herrin-Ferri, author of “All the Queens Houses.”
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