ABOUT THIS PROJECT

The photographs on this site were shot in Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., over a span of two years, from 2001 to 2003, beginning as part of a personal project and later complementing coursework at the renowned School of Art & Design at Alfred University.

The first time I visited Buffalo and Rochester -- two supposed backwaters on the fringes of the American Rust Belt -- I was surprised and awed by the beauty of their architecture. A century ago, both cities were among the biggest in the nation, with buildings and infrastructure appropriate for their scale. Though Buffalo and Rochester have dipped in population and ceded much of their prominence to more prosperous coastal centres, they remain vibrant places in the vanguard of architectural and parks preservation.

The photos displayed here are mere examples of the hundreds, if not thousands, of remarkable structures each city offers.