Archive for: green architecture

“Appetite4Architecture” Dinner Features Special Guest Frank Harmon

The first in a series of dinners sponsored by Triangle Modernist Houses.

Frank Harmon, FAIA

January 18, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Frank Harmon FAIA, founder and principal of the award-winning firm Frank Harmon Architect PA in Raleigh, will be a featured guest at the first 2012 “Appetite4Architecture” dinner on Tuesday, January 31, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in 18 Seaboard restaurant in Raleigh.

Now in its third year, “Appetite4Architecture” dinners are sponsored by Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), an award-winning, non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving and promoting Modernist residential design. The purpose of the dinners is to give the general public a chance to dine with, and talk with, some of the Triangle area’s finest architects in a relaxed, informal setting.

Frank Harmon is well known for modern, innovative, sustainable and regionally appropriate architecture of all types, including houses. Among his best known, award-winning residential designs are:

  • The Taylor Vacation House in the Bahamas, which is included in the book Tropical Modernism and was featured in an exhibit in the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., among many other accolades.
  • The Strickland-Ferris Residence in Raleigh, which has been featured in a number of architectural magazines and received both Custom Home and Wood Design awards.
  • The Low Country Residence in Mount Pleasant, SC, which also received a Custom Home Design Award and a national AIA Housing Award.
  • And the own modern home and gardens he shares with his wife, landscape architect Judy Harmon, in Raleigh, which were featured in Sarah Susanka’s book Outside The Not-So-Big House.

In 2011, Frank Harmon was included in Residential Architect magazine’s “RA 50: A Short List of Architects We Love,” and in 2005 his firm received the magazine’s “Top Firm of the Year” honor. He has been profiled in Dwell magazine and Architectural Record, and he has been a featured guest on American Public Media’s “The Story” with Dick Gordon.

Joining Harmon for TMH’s inaugural 2012 “A4A” dinner will be Durham architect Ellen Cassilly, AIA, who worked in Harmon’s firm before founding her own firm Ellen Cassilly Architect Inc., and Randy Lanou, president of BuildSense/Studio B Architecture, also in Durham. Dona Aguayo of Go Realty is co-sponsoring the January 31 dinner.

The TMH “A4A” dinners are all held at 18 Seaboard, 18 Seaboard Avenue, No. 100, Raleigh, NC 27604. The dinners include three courses from a preselected menu (vegetarian options are available) plus coffee, water, tea, tax, and gratuity. Price per person is $53. Tickets are available at www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/a4a. Payments are nonrefundable except for event cancellation. All proceeds benefit TMH’s ongoing documentation, preservation, and house tours programs. For more information on TMH call George Smart, 919-740-8407 or visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

For more information on Frank Harmon, visit www.frankharmon.com.

About Frank Harmon, FAIA:

Frank Harmon, FAIA, is principal Frank Harmon Architect PA, and Professor in Practice at North Carolina State University’s College of Design. His work has been featured in numerous books, journals and magazines, including Dwell, Architect, Architectural Record, Arch Daily.com, and Residential Architect. A frequent lecturer on modern, sustainable, regionally appropriate architecture, he serves on design awards juries across the nation. For more information, visit www.frankharmon.com.

Frank Harmon Discusses The New AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design in New Video

Harmon and landscape architect Gregg Bleam talk about the design process. 

The iconic AIA NC headquarters nears completion in downtown Raleigh.

December 6, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — Architect Frank Harmon, FAIA, of Frank Harmon Architect PA, recently posted a new video on his website (www.frankharmon.com) in which he and landscape architect Gregg Bleam discuss the design process behind the soon-to-be-completed AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design in downtown Raleigh.

Segments of the video will be updated as AIA NC (the American Institute of Architects North Carolina chapter) moves in and the landscape matures.

Harmon explains at the beginning of the video that the project is the result of his firm winning a professional design competition. One of the reasons Harmon won, according to the judges, was that his concept for a modern, thoroughly sustainable, and regionally appropriate Center embraced building and landscape as a single interdependent, interlocking whole.

“We knew this was a landscape problem,” Harmon says, because of the oddly shaped, triangular site and the parking requirements. As a result, he enlisted Bleam “before we drew a single line” and felt including Bleam in the video on the building was imperative.

Directed and shot by Allen Weiss of Allen Weiss: Works on Film and Paper in Raleigh, the video

Frank Harmon, FAIA

features Harmon in his warehouse-turned-office in Raleigh’s Boylan Heights neighborhood and Bleam in his office in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. It also includes a variety of footage of the building under construction; of Harmon and Bleam walking the site, looking over plans and laughing together; and behind-the-scenes moments in the construction trailer.

This is the first video that Frank Harmon, a multi-awarding winning architect and Professor in Practice at NC State University’s College of Design, has done for his website. Why did he choose this particular project?

“Because of its design, the AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design is destined to be an icon in downtown Raleigh,” said Kim Weiss, Harmon’s public relations coordinator. “It’s also the first from-the-ground-up, ‘green’ AIA headquarters in the nation.

“But equally important,” she continued, “is that the general public rarely gets to hear an architect talk about the process that lead to the design of a building, especially one as iconic as this one. Through the video, Frank is creating a rapport with his audience, whether that means students, clients, future clients, or folks just interested in architecture. Together, he and Gregg are communicating more than a written description could.”

She also pointed out that “videos are entertaining. It’s simply a fact that people today are more likely to click on a video than to read a written description.”

The man behind the camera, Allen Weiss, noted how comfortable Harmon and Bleam were in front of the camera. “There was no script,” he said. “They just started talking and were of such a similar mindset that I could easily cut from one to the other as they discussed the design process. I was impressed.”

The video opens and closes with audible off-camera voices. Weiss said he purposefully left the “chatter” in during the edit to give the piece a casual, relaxed feel, “unlike the garden-variety, industrial, talking-head videos that are dry and offer no clues into the personalities behind them. I don’t believe you can separate the product from the dynamic and interesting personalities that lead to its creation. My intention was not only to showcase this important structure, but to allow viewers to get to know Frank and Gregg in a simply, personal, human way.”

To hear Frank Harmon and Gregg Bleam discuss the design process behind the AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design, visit www.frankharmon.com and click on AIA North Carolina Center for Architecture Design Video.” To read more about the project, click on “current” projects.

For more information on Gregg Bleam Landscape Architect, go to www.gbla.net.

For more information on Allen Weiss, visit www.allen-weiss.com.

About Frank Harmon Architect PA

Frank Harmon Architect PA is an award-winning architectural firm that is recognized nationally as a leader in modern, innovative, sustainable and regionally appropriate design. Its competition-winning design for the AIA NC Center for Architecture & Design is currently under construction in downtown Raleigh. The firm’s work has been featured in numerous books, magazines, journals and online magazines on architecture, including ArchDaily.com, Dwell, Architectural Record, Architect and Residential Architect. The firm ranked 21st in Architecture magazine’s Top 50 firms in the nation this year and Frank Harmon, FAIA, founder and principal, was included in Residential Architect magazine’s first “RA 50: The short list of architects we love.” For more information, go to www.frankharmon.com.

VMZINC® Enjoys Record Attendance at Expo CIHAC

L-R: Juan Clavel, Veronica Valderrama, Esperanza Munguía, Lili Martinez, and Francisco Jover.

November 21, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — If attendance at the VMZINC® booth at Expo CIHAC last month is any indication, Mexico will be a thriving market for Umicore Building Products, as the global company anticipates.

Expo CIHAC is the premier event in Mexico and Latin America for the building, construction, and housing industries. Held at Centro Banamex in Mexico City, the show features building materials, machinery, equipment, hand and power tools, building systems and prefabricated technologies, financial services, real estate, finished houses, insulates, piping, and more. Expo CIHAC also includes various technical seminars about the latest challenges and trends of the industry.

Architect Juan Clavel of Aldbanta Arquitects and the NOW Specialities, Inc., agent in Mexico, manned the VMZINC booth assisted by Francisco Jover, VMZINC Director of Sales in Spain.

The booth featured all of Umicore’s VMZINC architectural zinc products, including ALPOLIC composite zinc by Mitsubishi Plastics Composites American, Inc., using NOW’s zinc composite rainscreen systems.

According to Verónica Valderrama, coordinator of Mexico-Sales, attendance was “incredible. This was only our second year exhibiting at Expo CIHAC. The first year we had over 500 registered visitors to our booth. This year we had over 1000 registered visitors. Total attendance for the show has not been released, but the previous year was over 50,000.”

Expo CIHAC attracts exhibitors from all over the world and is attended primarily by people in the industries from Mexico, Central and South America.

“With our Mexican companies’ work experience in the past and the interest in our products at this year’s expo, we believe Mexico will be a great market for VMZINC,” Valderrama said.

For more information on VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

For more information on Expo Cihac, go to www.cihac.com.mx/.

About Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.

Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

Umicore Building Products Holds Open House in New Headquarters

November 15, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) – Umicore Building Products USA, manufacturer of VMZINC® architectural zinc, held an open house together with its parent company Umicore USA in its new North American headquarters at 3600 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, North Carolina, on November 1.

Umicore invited site managers from North America as well as corporate executives from global European headquarters to the open house, along with customers, clients, and other companies with whom Umicore does business.

UBP North American President Norbert Schneider and Daniel Nicely, Associate AIA and Director of Market Development, welcomed 150 guests as they toured the company’s new 15,000-square-foot headquarters.

Other company VIPS in attendance included Ravila Gupta, President of Umicore USA; Martine Verluyten, Former Chief Financial Officer of Umicore; LudoVandervelden, Chief Financial Officer of Umicore; and Denis Goffaux, Chief Technology Office of Umicore.

Catering Works catered the event.

For more information on Umicore Building Products and VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

About Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.

Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

Umicore Building Products Wins Project of Distinction Award

American Builders Quarterly praises Gateway Center project. 

The Gateway Center features extensive use of VMZINC architectural zinc.

November 2, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — American Builders Quarterly magazine (ABQ) has chosen the Gateway Center at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York, as a Project of Distinction in its 2011 Building Excellence Awards.

Umicore Building Products USA (UBP) entered the 70,000-square-foot project in ABQ’s annual competition since it features extensive use of VMZINC® architecture zinc. Umicore, UBP’s global parent company, is a world-leading manufacturer of architectural zinc.

Designed by Ennead Architects LLP of New York with Worth Construction as contractor, the Gateway Center’s building materials integrate the structure with the existing fabric of the campus and establish a new signature building for the College. Fieldstone at the base of the building resonates with historic buildings on campus, while offices and classrooms, cantilevered over a base of structurally glazed walls, are clad in VMZINC (installed by Barrett Roofing).

“We received entries from all over the nation, but [Umicore’s] stood out as an exemplary work in keeping with the best aesthetic and pragmatic traditions of architecture, engineering, and construction management in the United States,” said ABQ features editor Geoff George.

“We are honored to receive the American Builders Quarterly award,” said Dan Nicely, Director of Market Development UBP. “And we are very proud to be associated with such a great project by the very talented designers at Ennead Architects.”

The project is featured in ABQ’s November-December edition. 

The Gateway Center also recently received a national award from the Metal Construction Association for “the exceptional use of metal in innovative architectural designs.”

Now in its fifth year covering America’s construction industry, American Builders Quarterly provides an industry-specific look at high-quality companies spanning all aspects of the building trade. For more information on ABQ and to download the digital edition, go to http://americanbuildersquarterly.com.

For more information on Umicore Building Products USA and VMZINC®, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

About Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.

Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

 

 

Umicore Building Products Wins Three National Awards

For the exceptional use of metal in innovative architectural designs.

October 19, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — Umicore Building Products USA received three national Metal Construction Association (MCA) Chairman’s Awards this year for the exceptional use of metal in innovative architectural designs.

In the Residential category, Umicore Building Products (UBP) received the 2011 MCA Chairman’s

The GREENville House

Award for Kristi and Bobby Walters’ “GREENville House” in Greenville, North Carolina. Designed and built by Tonic Design + Construction of Raleigh, NC, the exterior cladding of this modern, thoroughly “green” house is a mix of brick veneer, vertical cedar panels, and VMZINC® architectural zinc. Metal Worx was the installer.

UBP received the MCA Chairman’s Award in the Educational category for the Gateway Center at Westchester Community College In Valhalla, New York. Designed by Ennead Architects LLP of New York with Worth Construction as contractor, sustainable design strategies including the choice of materials: VMZINC, stone and glass. Barrett Roofing was the metal installer.

Finally, UBP received the MCA Chairman’s Award for Municipal design for the Nebraska Public Power

Gateway Center, Westchester Community College

District’s new Norfolk Operations Center in Norfolk, Nebraska. Designed by HDR, Inc., with J.E. Dunn Construction Co. as contractor, the LEED-Gold  project utilizes UBP’s patented Dri-Design® panels for 12,887 square feet of VMZINC’s Anthra Zinc in addition to aluminum and copper. SGH, Inc., was the metal installer.

The Chairman’s Awards are an annual designation given to outstanding building projects involving MCA member companies. The awards honor innovation and creativity while showcasing how metal products contribute to exceptional building designs.

“We are honored to receive three awards from the MCA this year,” said Dan Nicely, Director of Market Development UBP. “And we are proud to be associated with such great projects by incredible architects

Norfolk Operations Center

such as HDR, Ennead, and Tonic.”

The award ceremony took place on Tuesday, October 11, during this year’s METALCON International convention in Atlanta. Pierre Van de Bruaene, Umicore’s Corporate Senior Vice President for the building products division, Norbert Schneider, President of Umicore Building Products North America, and Dan Nicely received the award.

For more information on Umicore Building Products and VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com. For more information on the Metal Construction Association and the MCA Chairman’s Awards, go to www.metalconstruction.org.

About Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.

Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

 

VMZinc Territory Manager Appointed To Expert Forum Panel

To answer questions about metal roofing and installation.

Melissa Dolak-Keller

October 17, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) – Melissa Dolak-Keller, a territory manager for Umicore Building Products USA, the manufacturer of VMZINC®, has been appointed to the Metal Roofing Alliance’s Ask-The-Expert Forum panel.

Ask-The-Expert is a forum for exchanging information concerning residential metal roofing, including general material and metal roofing installation questions. Architects, contractors, and installers post metal roofing questions and members of the panel of contributors provide the answers.

Dolak-Keller is one of Umicore Building Product’s territory managers for the Northeastern states and Texas, along with Alex Pittman and Bryan Ninneman. She has been with the company for five years in a variety of roles, and is now responsible for meeting with architects and installers, giving presentations on metal roofing and reviewing details.

“Melissa is a valuable member of our team and an excellent source for zinc envelope information,” said Daniel Nicely, Director of Market Development for Umicore Building Products USA. “She has a wide variety of experience working with architects and installers on various types of projects all over the United States, and understands the residential market very well.  We are proud of her association with the MRA and the Ask-The-Expert Forum.”

The Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) was formed in 1998 by a small group of metal roofing manufacturers to educate consumers about the benefits of metal roofing. The Ask-The-Expert Forum is located on MRA’s website at www.metalroofing.com/v2/forums.

For more information on Umicore Building Products and VMZINC, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

About Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.

Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

UBP To Provide VMZinc Roof for Solar Bay Pavilion at MetalCon

To support solar technology demonstrations during the 2011 convention.

VMZinc standing seam Quartz Zinc roofing.


September 29, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — Umicore Building Products (UBP), headquartered in Raleigh NC, will provide the standing seam architectural zinc — one-inch VMZ Double Lock Standing Seam in QUARTZ-ZINC — for the Solar Bay Pavilion’s full-scale solar roof mock-up at the 2011 MetalCon International convention and exhibition, booth #1247.

The convention will be held October 11-13 in the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Solar Bay Pavilion is MetalCon’s central space where visitors discover the newest solar products and solar integration technologies for metal roofing and wall systems.  Solar panels will be attached to UBP’s VMZINC® roof.

“The inherent properties of metal make metal wall systems an excellent platform for solar technologies,” said Dan Nicely, Director of Market Development for Umicore Building Products / VMZINC. “Metal roofing and solar technologies are the perfect energy efficient solution given that a metal roof will outlast the traditional asphalt roof and manufacturing architectural zinc requires very little energy consumption.”

The Solar Bay Pavilion allows experts and product engineers from both industries to demonstrate the best methodologies for integrating solar technology into metal roofing and construction projects. Experts will also be on hand to offer tips, tools, and trade secrets on metal and solar technology.

Among the speakers scheduled to appear in the Solar Bay Pavilion are Bill Poleatewich of Dawn Solar, who will discuss “High Performance Building Envelopes: The Convergence of Metal, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Construction” on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.; and Vince Barleto of Inovateus, who will present “Steps for a Successful Solar Project Installation on Metal Roofs” at 3 p.m.

Construction of the VMZINC Solar Bay Roof will take place on Sunday, October 9. Set up for Solar Bay exhibits and installation of the Solar Bay equipment will take place on Monday, October 10th.

MetalCon International is the only annual conference and exhibition dedicated to metal construction products, technologies and solutions. Organizers expect attendance to exceed 8000. For more information: www.metalcon.com.

For more information on Umicore Building Products USA and VMZinc, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

About Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.

Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

Umicore Building Products Donates VMZinc Roof for AIA NC’s New Headquarters

Modern, “Green” Architecture & Design Center to be crowned by

Rendering, AIA NC Center for Architecture & Design

PIGMENTO Red architectural zinc.

September 22, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) – Umicore Building Products USA (UBP), headquartered in Raleigh, NC, has donated $70,000 worth of PIGMENTO® Red VMZ standing-seam zinc panels to be used for the roof of the American Institute of Architects North Carolina Chapter’s new, modern, sustainable headquarters building that is now under construction in downtown Raleigh.

“We are proud to be a supporting member of the AIA NC building. It is wonderful to be a part of such an important project in our own backyard,” said Daniel Nicely, an associate member of the AIA and UBP’s Director of Market Development.

Officially named the AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design, the building was designed by Frank Harmon Architect PA of Raleigh, a multi-award-winning firm well known for its modern, green, regionally appropriate design. Under the direction of principal Frank Harmon, FAIA, the firm won a professional design competition for the project.

The design competition required submissions to be as “green,” or environmentally sustainable, as possible. Among the building’s many eco-friendly features will be the zinc roof.

“The three main environmentally sustainable qualities of architectural zinc are its  durability, its recyclability, and the moderate amount of energy required to manufacture it,” said Nicely. “Using architectural zinc for roofing materials or exterior cladding helps architects achieve LEED points.”

The new building’s other green features include: careful siting, extensive use of glass, operable windows, and open porches to maximize natural lighting and ventilation; a geothermal heating and cooling system; an underground rainwater collection cistern, the use of locally available and recycled materials wherever possible; a broad roof overhang to protect the interior from harsh summer sun; a special energy-conserving elevator; and an innovative parking “garden” comprised of porous paving that will eliminate all storm water run-off.

“There were three irreplaceable elements in the design of the AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design: stone walls, landscape, and the metal roof,” said Frank Harmon. “Of these, the zinc roof was the most generous donation, and I think it will shelter the AIA for generations.”

The red pigment in the PIGMENTO® Red panel is created through a factory process that adds the red pigment to the coil during the manufacturing of the sheets and coils. The advantage of adding the pigment during manufacturing is that the panel will not require any reapplication of color, and the color will weather evenly and smoothly as it ages. VMZINC is recognized for blending well and easily with other architectural products, such as the AIA NC Center’s wood siding (cypress), stonework, concrete, steel, and glass.

The AIA NC building and landscape were designed as one interlocking system with the majority of the site left as green, open, park-like space in this urban setting. The building should be complete by the end of November. The landscaping will not be complete until the spring of 2012. For more information on the AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design, visit www.frankharmon.com and click on “current projects.”

For more information on UBP and VMZ PIGMENTO® Red products, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

About Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.

Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc. For over 160 years, Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.

Modern, Green Playhouse Designed To Inspire Imagination

Frank Harmon Architect PA participates in Playhouse Parade fundraiser, auction. 

Color scheme, elevations

September 20, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — Award-winning architect Frank Harmon, FAIA, believes “the best toy is one that allows the greatest freedom. Lego is a good example, a child under a table with a tablecloth surrounding her is another, and nothing is better than a muddy stream.” That’s why the custom-built playhouse his firm has designed for the upcoming Playhouse Parade in Raleigh is about creating spaces that will inspire a child’s imagination.

The Playhouse Parade is a collaboration among the City of Raleigh Parks & Recreation Department, Cameron Village Shopping Center, the Triangle Builders Guild, and a variety of designers, architects, businesses, and individuals to raise funds for the Sassafras All Children’s Playground, a new playground in Laurel Hills that will be accessible for children with special needs.

Frank Harmon’s design team is well-known for modern, sustainable and regionally appropriate

Exterior under construction

architecture, and this playhouse – like the Dog House the firm designed in 2005 to raise funds for Triangle Beagle Rescue of North Carolina — is no exception.

In modern architecture, form follows function. But in the playhouse, form follows play — to allow children’s imagination the greatest freedom.

Rather than designing a themed playhouse — a pirate ship or a firehouse, for example — Harmon’s playhouse “lets a child use his or her imagination,” he says, “from tea parties to puppet shows and even making mud-pies.”

The tall, narrow structure features a covered porch/stage, a lower-level playroom with two windows, and a loft level with a balcony or ”Juliet” window. On the first level, behind the ladder that rises to the loft, is the “kitchen,” where a shelf with buckets sits ready for mud-pie making. Sliding shutters at both lower windows open for puppet shows but close to keep out rain — and imaginary forces attacking a fort. The

Interior showing upper level loft.

large main door at the front of the playhouse can be thrown open for stage productions. In its closed position, a smaller door-within-a door allows children to enter and exit, and a “peep hole” window above the small door allows sun light in and serves as a “spy portal.” A planter in front of the porch/stage invites children to grow flowers and vegetables.

“How important is it,” Harmon asks, “for children to learn where a tomato comes from?”

In keeping with the principals of green, or sustainable, design, the structure is composed of locally available materials: painted wood (plywood and 2x4s and 2x2s), metal (galvanized pipe), and translucent corrugated polycarbonate for the roof. The windows provide natural ventilation and lighting, and the deep roof overhang protects the interior from the hot summer sun.

Harmon and his design team consulted with a child psychologist and several children during the design process, and built the playhouse to the scale of a three- to seven-year-old child.

“It’s real, but small,” says Courtney Evans, Harmon’s architectural intern, who spearheaded the project.

Twelve design teams are designing, building, and donating playhouses that will be displayed in Cameron Village on two Saturdays, October 8 and 15, then auctioned off on October 22 during the “Night Under

Window with sliding shutter.

The Stars Playhouse Parade Gala.” Proceeds from the auction will be used to restore the city’s one-of-a-kind playground that gives kids, no matter what their abilities, the chance to play. For more information: http://sassafrasplay.org/playhouse.

For more information on Frank Harmon Architect PA, visit www.frankharmon.com.

About Frank Harmon Architect PA

Frank Harmon Architect PA is an award-winning architectural firm that is recognized nationally as a leader in modern, innovative, sustainable and regionally appropriate design. Its competition-winning design for the AIA NC Center for Architecture & Design is currently under construction in downtown Raleigh. The firm’s work has been featured in numerous books, magazines, journals and online magazines on architecture, including ArchDaily.com, Dwell, Architectural Record, Architect and Residential Architect. The firm ranked 21st in Architecture magazine’s Top 50 firms in the nation this year and Frank Harmon, FAIA, founder and principal, was included in Residential Architect magazine’s first “RA 50: The short list of architects we love.” For more information, go to www.frankharmon.com.