Avoiding TrendsA few years ago, a magazine devoted an entire issue to Tuscan architecture. The problem was, the style purported to be Tuscan was merely an ordinary home wrapped in a Tuscan skin. For six months my phone rang with potential clients asking for Tuscan architecture. True architecture from Tuscany represents its place and environment. Tuscany has an ecology and readily available materials and stones. Tuscany has a history and a context. It makes little sense to design a Tuscan-skinned home in the Sonoran Desert.Here is a modern courtyard akin to the wonderful courtyards of true Tuscan architecture, illustrating that one can apply principles of good design, regardless of how ancient the architecture may be, in a modern context.