Frank Harmon Wins Honor Award for AIA NC Center for Architecture & Design

Categories: Frank Harmon Architect PA
Comments (0)

November 28, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Frank Harmon Architect PA, a multi-award-winning firm in Raleigh, NC, has received an Honor Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA NC) for the design of the new AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design in downtown Raleigh.

Already praised by the media as a “heroic gesture” (Metro Magazine), a building “that behaves like the skilled diplomat it was designed to be,” (News & Observer), and “an ode in zinc and cypress, and an inviting treatise on transparency,” (Huffington Post), the building is located on an oddly shaped, previously unused lot in downtown Raleigh near the State Capitol and Government Complex.

According to Frank Harmon, FAIA, the building and landscape were conceived of as “one interlocking system” with the help of Charlottesville, VA, landscape architect Gregg Bleam, FASLA. “The landscape is an extension of the building and the building is an extension of the landscape,” Harmon said. To underscore that concept, the native stone walls in the landscape extend inside the building.

The narrow building is sited snugly against an existing city sidewalk so that the majority of the triangular lot is a park-like green space in this urban context. Harmon and Bleam call the necessary parking space a “parking garden” because it is porously paved to dry quickly and to eliminate storm water runoff, and it can be used for a variety of outdoor functions by AIA NC and other community groups.

The building’s open floor plan features the lobby and multi-purpose room on the first floor, AIA NC’s offices on the second floor, and more offices on the third floor, including Frank Harmon’s own offices. A gallery space is located on a lower level, facing a city street. The open plan is intended to evoke a sense of community among occupants. It also makes temperature and lighting control more efficient.

Harmon designed the building to meet LEED Platinum standards, the highest LEED certification, as well as AIA Committee On The Environment (COTE) goals, which include regional appropriateness and the use of regionally available materials, land use and site ecology, sustainable materials and methods of construction, reduced water usage, and increased energy efficiency.

The siting, narrow footprint, and abundant glazing maximize natural ventilation and day light in every interior space. Other sustainability features include:

• Geothermal heating and cooling

• Rainwater collection for use on site

• 90 percent recycling of construction waste construction on site

• Deep roof overhangs and porches to shade the building in the summer but allow warming light in the winter

• A “green screen” where vines will shade the building in spring and summer

• A zinc roof (zinc being one of the most sustainable metals available)

• All locally available materials, including Cypress wood felled by a hurricane in the Great Dismal Swamp

• Low-flow bathroom fixtures and zero VOC paints and carpets

• Operable windows for cross-ventilation

“As we come out of the recession, we won’t be building in the same wasteful ways,” Harmon said. “With new emphasis on alternative energy and sustainable design, the AIA NC Center shows us a new way to build.”

The annual AIA NC Design Awards celebrate the achievements of architects across the state and recognize a select group of diverse projects that distinguish themselves both in response to their clients’ needs and design excellence. For more information, visit www.ncaia.org.

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

About Frank Harmon, FAIA:

Frank Harmon, FAIA, a Professor in Practice at NC State University, founded his firm in 1985. Since then, the firm has become nationally recognized for its modern, sustainable, and regionally appropriate designs, especially its environmental education projects. This year, the firm was ranked 17th out of the top 50 firms in the nation by Architect magazine. Last year, Frank Harmon was included in Residential Architect magazine’s “RA 50: The Short List of Architects We Love.” Harmon’s work has been featured in numerous books, magazines and journals on architecture. For more information, go to www.frankharmon.com.

Tonic Design + Tonic Construction Wins AIA NC’s Only Residential Design Award

Categories: Tonic Design + Tonic Construction
Comments (0)

For a modern house in Hillsborough, NC

November 20, 2012 (Raleigh NC) – Tonic Design + Tonic Construction, an award-winning design/build firm in Raleigh, NC, has received a Merit Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA NC) for its design and construction of the “Crabill Modern” house in Hillsborough, NC.

It was the only residential project to win an AIA NC design award this year.

This simple, modern home is located in a clearing amidst a lush, five-acre forest. The Crabills wanted the house to disturb the natural environment as little as possible and to accommodate local wildlife.

“They also wanted a unique live-work house that provides interesting spatial overlaps,” said project designer Katherine Hogan, who co-owns of Tonic Design + Tonic Construction with her husband, designer Vinny Petraca. “And they wanted it to be constructed in a simple and cost-effective way.”

The house is sited to avoid disturbing the environment, to maximize natural lighting and ventilation, and to frame views of forest, including a three-trunked tree.

To reflect the rural setting, the design references regional agricultural structures yet renders them in a modern composition using simple, inexpensive materials. Recalling old farm sheds, the house’s skewed cubic form is clad in solid and perforated COR-TEN®, a steel alloy developed to eliminate the need for painting. The steel forms a stable rust-like appearance when exposed to the weather. As a result, the house will be a constantly evolving element in the landscape as a rich patina develops over the years. The COR-TEN also acts as a rain screen, canopy, sunshade, and visual screen.

Spray foam insulation, tightly sealed ducts, low-e glazed windows, and Energy Star® appliances contribute to the home’s energy conservation. Despite the fact that their new house is 800 feet larger than their previous house, the Crabills report that their energy bills are, on average, 30 percent lower.

The first floor includes the entry, a spacious kitchen/living/dining room, a studio/music space, and two decks. The second floor includes the master bedroom suite and two bedrooms for the Crabills’ children, who share an extra loft space and bath.

Tonic Construction completed the home for $155 per square foot, due in large part to the design/build process and the creative use of materials.

For more information on Tonic Design + Tonic Construction, go to www.tonic-design.com.

About Tonic Design + Tonic Construction:

As two separate but interacting companies, Tonic Design and Tonic Construction work toward executing sensitive modern design solutions that make a difference in their clients’ lives and contribute to the architectural fabric of their buildings’ communities. Owned and operated by Vinny Petrarca and Katherine Hogan, Tonic has the flexibility to take on the role of architect or general contractor, or to collaborate together as an award-winning design-build firm. The firm’s projects have been featured in many national publications, including Architectural Record, Residential Architect, Dwell, Custom Homes, Informmagazine, and Metal Architecture. For more information visit www.tonic-design.com.

PBC+L Wins AIA NC Honor Award for Triangle Brick Headquarters

Categories: Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee
Comments (0)

Triangle Brick Headquarters, Durham, NC.

The modern project honors the history of its site.

November 20, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — The Triangle Brick Headquarters in Durham, NC, designed by Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee (PBC+L), has received a 2012 Honor Award from the North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA NC).

The 18,000-square-foot project is the North American base of operations for German parent company Röben Tonbaustoffe. The project consists of corporate offices, a product Design Center, and a uniquely landscaped “Brick Garden.”

The office wing is a simple two-story volume oriented for views to a pond on the south and to the garden on the north. The building is intentionally narrow to provide all offices with natural daylight and views of the exterior. Public spaces include the lobby and adjacent gathering space and the gallery link between the offices and the Design Center. The remainder of the office “bar” features private offices, conference rooms, work spaces, storage, restrooms, and an employee break room.

The site and buildings are organized around a masonry wall that begins outdoors at the entrance sequence, then extends through the lobby and on out into the site again. As this wall moves from outside to inside, it transforms from being a planter and seating wall to a lobby wall incorporating a fireplace and interior windows. This large brick wall is the defining architectural element of the project.

The Design Center is a residential-scaled space housing a variety of stationary and interactive displays of brick. The main space is two stories high and is primarily oriented toward the “Brick Garden.”

Acknowledging the residential scale of this building and the architectural influence from the parent company, the building’s design incorporates a pitched roof clad in black clay tile and zinc cladding on a large roof dormer.

The Brick Garden

The “Brick Garden,” which recently received an award from the NC chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, is a geometrically composed space featuring spinning brick panels. The panels display a range of products and allow potential customers to view their selections under different daylight conditions. They also serve as a kinetic element in the landscape.

The site, located on NC 55, has evolved over the years from a brick manufacturing facility and clay pit to Triangle Brick’s corporate headquarters.

“And to acknowledgement the history of the site, we also incorporated brick cubes, evenly spaced and aligned, as sculptural elements, forming an edge to the Garden,” said Lee, who was joined on the project’s design team by PBC+L’s Irvin Pearce, AIA; and Rob Harkey, AIA.

Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee maintains offices in Raleigh and Asheville, NC. For more information on the firm, visit www.pbclarchitecture.com.

About PBC+L:

Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee (PBC+L) is an award-winning, full-service architectural firm specializing in academic and cultural arts projects. PBC+L has offices in Raleigh and Asheville, North Carolina. The firm’s work has been published in numerous professional journals and was ranked 15^th this year in Architect Magazine’s “Top 50” firms in the nation based on business success, commitment to sustainability, and design excellence. For more information, visit www.pbclarchitecture.com or find the firm on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Catherine Hofmann Joins Frank Harmon Architect PA As Office Manager

Categories: Frank Harmon Architect PA
Comments (0)

Catherine Hofmann

Her responsibilities will include administrative support.

November 8, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — Frank Harmon, FAIA, principal and founder of the award-winning architectural firm Frank Harmon Architect PA in Raleigh, has announced that Catherine Hofmann has joined the firm as office manager and administrative support.

Hofmann is originally from Evansville, Indiana. She moved to Chapel Hill in 2005 to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a member of UNC’s women’s golf team. She graduated in 2009 with a double major in Economics and Psychology.

Before joining Harmon’s firm, Hofmann served as operations and office manager for Raleigh Denim and other small businesses, including a hardwood flooring company.

“Frank Harmon Architect PA needed an effective support system to continue to thrive,” Hofmann noted. “I came to facilitate the daily administrative tasks common to small businesses so that Harmon and his team can continue building nationally acclaimed structures. This opportunity has afforded me an intimate look into the life of an architect while solving an exciting new set of problems and continuing my lifelong education.”

Harmon’s firm is nationally recognized as a leader in modern, sustainable, and regionally appropriate design. One of the firm’s most recent high profile projects is the new AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design in downtown Raleigh, where his office are now located.

Frank Harmon is also a Professor In Practice at North Carolina State University’s College of Architecture. For more information on Harmon and his firm, visit www.frankharmon.com.

About Frank Harmon Architect PA:

Frank Harmon Architect PA is an award-winning architectural firm that is nationally recognized as a leader in modern, innovative, sustainable, and regionally appropriate design. The firm is especially known for its environmental education projects. This year Harmon’s firm ranked 17^th in Architecture magazine’s Top 50 Firms in the nation. In 2010, Frank Harmon, FAIA, founder and principal, was included in Residential Architect magazine’s “RA 50: The short list of architects we love.” For more information, go to www.frankharmon.com.

Architect Dion Neutra To Bring His Famous Father’s Work To Raleigh

Categories: Triangle Modernist Houses
Comments (0)

Dion Neutra, AIA

Triangle Modernist Houses continues the 2012 TalkModern Lecture Series.

October 30, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – In 1949, Time magazine named modern master Richard Neutra (1892-1970) the second most important architect in America, second only to Frank Lloyd Wright. On Tuesday, November 13, at 7 p.m., the master’s son, architect Dion Neutra, AIA, will discuss his father’s celebrated work and philosophy when he presents “Neutra Architecture: The View From Inside” at the AIA North Carolina Center for Architecture and Design in downtown Raleigh.

Dion’s lecture is the second half of Triangle Modernist Houses’ 2012 TalkModern Lecture Series this fall entitled “A Fistful of Neutras.” His brother Raymond spoke in October.

A partner in his father’s firm, Dion will share his personal and professional views of the sensitivity to the relationship of man and nature that he and his father called bio-realism.

“The Neutras sounded the environmental alarm in the 1950s many years before ecology, Green architecture, and Sustainable Design became buzz words for politicians and recently concerned organizations,” according to the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design. “As far back as [Dion] can remember, his father was warning that ‘today’s man-made environment has become an irritating, increasing threat to the vitality and soundness of mind and body.’ ”

Charlotte landscape architect Ted Cleary will introduce Dion Neutra before his Raleigh lecture.

Advance tickets to the lectures are $12.50. Tickets per lecture at the door are $15. $5 for NCSU students and faculty with identification will be admitted for $5.

To purchase advance tickets and for more information, go to www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/lecture. Proceeds from this lecture will benefit TMH’s ongoing programs.

The AIANC Center for Architecture & Design is located at 14 East Peace Street, Raleigh, NC 27604. For directions: www.cfadnc.org.

For more information on Triangle Modernist Houses, visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

Richard Neutra

About Richard Neutra: In 1929, Viennese-born architect Richard Neutra rose to prominence with his visionary design of the Lovell “Health House” in Los Angeles. In 1932, Neutra was included in the seminal MoMA exhibition on modern architecture, curated by Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock. The ensuing decades solidified his place as one of the giants of the Modernist movement. TMH features a nearly complete catalog of his residential works.

About Triangle Modernist Houses:

Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) is a 501C3 nonprofit established in 2007 dedicated to documenting, preserving and promoting modernist architecture in the Triangle region. The award-winning website, now the largest educational and historical archive for modernist residential design in America, continues to catalog, preserve, and advocate for North Carolina modernism. TMH also hosts popular modernist house tours several times a year, giving the public access to the Triangle’s most exciting residential architecture, past and present. These tours raise awareness and help preserve these “livable works of art” for future generations. Visit the website at www.trianglemodernisthouses.com. TMH also has an active community on Facebook.

Raymond Neutra To Open The 2012 TalkModern Lecture Series

Categories: Triangle Modernist Houses
Comments (0)

Sponsored by Triangle Modernist Houses

Raymond Neutra

September 19, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Raymond Neutra, the son of Modernist master architect Richard Neutra, will open Triangle Modernist Houses’ 2012 TalkModern Lecture Series on Thursday, October 4, from 7 to 8 p.m., in the AIANC Center for Architecture & Design in downtown Raleigh.

Raymond Neutra will discuss “Preserving the VDL Studio/Residences in Los Angeles,” the research site in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles that was built in three waves: the first two by Richard Neutra in 1932 and 1940, the third by Raymond and his brother, Dion, in 1966 following a fire in the 1932 wing. Hundreds of projects were designed there, launching the careers of many renowned architects. The site became a cultural and political salon, attracting some of the world’s most prominent thinkers, yet it is in danger of significant decay now.

Over the last 35 years, Raymond, Neutra’s youngest son, travelled the world to connect with his father’s buildings, their owners, and occupants. An epidemiologist, Raymond offers a unique perspective from a son growing up with a famous architect father. He is also a devoted preserver of Modernism all over the world.

Raymond’s lectures raise awareness and funds for the restoration of the VDL Studio/Residences, an ongoing social and technological experiment that his mother bequeathed to Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design in 1990.

His Raleigh lecture will describe the ongoing efforts to restore the VDL compound, including the philosophical issues encountered during the project. The former Dean of the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design and current Dean of the NCSU College of Design, Marvin Malecha, will introduce Raymond. Proceeds from this lecture will benefit the VDL Studio preservation effort.

About Richard Neutra: In 1929, Viennese-born architect Richard Neutra rose to prominence with his visionary design of the Lovell “Health House” in Los Angeles. The ensuing decades solidified his place as one of the giants of the Modernist movement. In 1949, Time magazine featured Neutra on its cover and ranked him second only to Frank Lloyd Wright in American architecture. Triangle Modernist Houses’ website features a nearly complete catalog of his residential works (http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/neutra.htm).

Dion Neutra, Raymond’s brother, will speak at the AIANC Center in November.

Advance tickets to the lectures are $12.50 per person per lecture, or $20 for both. Tickets per lecture at the door are $15. To purchase advance tickets and for more information on both lectures, go to www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/lecture.

The AIANC Center for Architecture & Design is located at 14 East Peace Street, Raleigh, NC 27604. For directions: www.cfadnc.org.

For more information on Triangle Modernist Houses, visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

About Triangle Modernist Houses:

Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) is a 501C3 nonprofit established in 2007 and dedicated to restoring and growing Modernist architecture in the Triangle. The award-winning website, now the largest educational and historical archive for Modernist residential design in America, continues to catalog, preserve, and advocate for North Carolina Modernism. TMH also hosts popular Modernist house tours several times a year, giving the public access to the Triangle’s most exciting residential architecture, past and present. These tours raise awareness and help preserve these “livable works of art” for future generations. Visit the website at www.trianglemodernisthouses.com. TMH also has an active community on Facebook.

Frank Harmon Architect PA Hosts Opening Night for “Modernism at Risk”

Categories: Frank Harmon Architect PA
Comments (0)

Raleigh firm supports international photography exhibit at AIA NC

The 1938 Goodyear house by Edward Durell Stone

headquarters.

May 24, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Frank Harmon Architect PA, a multi-award winning architectural firm in Raleigh, NC, will host Opening Night of “Modernism at Risk: Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks,” an international architectural photography exhibit that will be on display in the new AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design in Raleigh June 1-9.

Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), the non-profit organization that archives, preserves and promotes modernist residential design, is bringing the exhibit to Raleigh, and has invited modernist architects in the Triangle to participate by hosting individual nights that it is on display. Frank Harmon, FAIA, who designed the new AIA NC Center, chose opening night, June 1, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Harmon will have samples of his work on display and be on hand to talk with those to attend opening night.

Frank Harmon, FAIA

“Modern architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Rudolph Schindler, George Matsumoto, and Harwell Hamilton Harris, were the inspiration for my career as an architect,” said Harmon. “Now, sadly, many of their buildings are endangered, and my goal in sponsoring ‘Modernism At Risk’ is to insure that buildings by these and other great modern architects survive to inspire future generations.”

A project of the World Monuments Fund, “Modernism at Risk” consists of 27 large-scale photographs, by noted photographer Andrew Moore, representing five case studies that explore the role designers play in preserving Modern landmarks. Two points central to the exhibit are: (1) engaging a larger public to care about modern buildings, and (2) demonstrating that these buildings can continue to be economically and functionally viable.

Exclusively for this exhibit, North Carolina State University is allowing TMH to display six architectural models rarely, if ever, seen by the public.

“Nothing teaches us about the history of architecture as much as walking through a building,” said Harmon, whose firm is known nationally for modern, sustainable, regionally appropriate design. “If we are to learn the lessons and promise of modernism, we need the buildings here to teach us.”

A Professor in Practice at NC State University’s College of Design, Harmon also lives in a modern house near the university in Raleigh that he designed, with gardens designed by his wife, Judy Harmon, ASLA.

Tickets to “Modernism at Risk’s” Opening Night are $6.95 in advance and $10 at the door. (Since the exhibit is being held in the new AIA NC headquarters, AIA members in good standing will receive free admission June 2-9, but not on Opening Night.) For more information and to reserve tickets, go to http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/atrisk.htm.

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

About Frank Harmon Architect PA:

Frank Harmon Architect PA, a multi-award-winning firm headquartered in downtown Raleigh, is recognized nationally as a leader in innovative, modern, and regionally inspired “green” architecture. This year the firm was ranked 22nc out of the top 50 firms in the nation by Architect magazine, an annual rating that emphasizes ecological commitment and design quality as much as profitability. Frank Harmon was also included in Residential Architect magazine’s “RA 50: a short list of architects we love.” Recent projects include Duke University’s Ocean Science Teaching Center in Beaufort, the NC Botanical Garden’s new Visitors Education Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Merchants Millpond Outdoor Educational building in Gatesville, N.C. The firm’s work has been featured in numerous books, magazines and journals on architecture, including Dwell, Architectural Record, Architect, Residential Architect, and ArchDaily. For more information, go to www.frankharmon.com.

Frank Harmon, FAIA, To Discuss How Architects, Landscape Architects Can Work Together

Categories: Frank Harmon Architect PA
Comments (0)

Award-winning architect asserts: “All good buildings begin with the land.”

Frank Harmon, FAIA

May 21, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Frank Harmon, FAIA, principal of the multi-award-winning architecture firm Frank Harmon Architect PA in Raleigh, NC, will present a talk entitled “How Architects and Landscape Architects Can Work Together” during the North Carolina chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (NCASLA) 2012 Spring Conference.

The conference will be held June 14-16 in the Hilton New Bern Riverfront hotel in New Bern, NC. Harmon’s talk will take place Friday, June 15, from 3:15-4:15 p.m.

A nationally recognized leader in modern, sustainable, regionally appropriate architecture, Harmon says he will discuss the urban and rural landscape, how architecture fits into it, and how architects and landscape architects can combine efforts “to leave the landscape better than we found it,” he said.

“For the past two decades I’ve chosen to have a landscape architect working beside me when I begin a design,” Harmon said. “At Merchants Millpond in eastern North Carolina, for example, I canoed and camped with landscape architect David Swanson before we drew the first line for the new Environmental Education Center there. I teamed with landscape architect Gregg Bleam to design the recently completed AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design in downtown Raleigh.”

As a result, Harmon’s projects successfully merge architecture and landscape and demonstrate the concept of regionally appropriate design. While many architects have embraced the principles of sustainable design over recent years, Frank Harmon has been designing environmentally responsible, modern buildings for nearly three decades. The AIA North Carolina Center for Architecture and Design is a flagship for sustainable urban design, where building and landscape are one interlocking, interdependent system.

Harmon frequently asserts that the most important decision an architect makes is how to position a building on its site, which he will reiterate during his NCASLA presentation.

“That particular throw of the dice determines everything that follows: orientation, aspect and prospect, day lighting, cross ventilation, hydrology, microclimate, and most importantly, a sense of place,” he said. “My belief that all good architecture begins with the land makes me value and appreciate landscape architects’ skills and understanding.”

Frank Harmon is also a Professor in Practice at the N.C. State University College of Design. He is married to Judy Harmon, Emeritus ASLA, and their daughter is a recent graduate in landscape architecture. For more information, visit www.frankharmon.com.

For more information on the NCASLA Spring Conference, go to www.ncasla.org.

About Frank Harmon, FAIA:

Frank Harmon, FAIA, is a Professor in Practice at NC State University and was the 1995 recipient of the Kamphoefner Prize for Distinguished Design over a Ten-Year Period. He founded his firm, Frank Harmon Architect PA, in 1985. In 2011, his firm was ranked 21st out of the top 50 firms in the nation by Architect magazine, and was included in Residential Architect magazine’s “RA 50:The Short List of Architects We Love.” Harmon’s work has been featured in numerous books, magazines and journals on architecture, including Dwell, Architectural Record, Architect, and ArchDaily.com. For more information, go to www.frankharmon.com.

TMH Presents “Modernism at Risk,” An International Architecture Exhibit

Categories: Triangle Modernist Houses
Comments (0)

The International Style Goodyear House (1938) designed by Edward Durell Stone. Architecture critic Paul Goldberger has called it “one of the most important houses built in the United States between the two world wars.”

April 24, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), the award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential design, will present “Modernism at Risk: Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks,” an international exhibit, from June 1-9 in the new AIA NC Center for Architecture & Design in downtown Raleigh.

“Modernism at Risk” features a large-format photographic gallery of destroyed or endangered Modernist buildings by internationally renowned photographer Andrew Moore. The exhibit has traveled the world including the Art Institute of Tampa, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, The AIA New York Center for Architecture, Lund University in Sweden, the University of Florida-Gainesville, the University of Montreal, and the University of Michigan’s Taubman School of Architecture.

A project of the World Monuments Fund, “Modernism at Risk” presents five case studies exploring the role designers play in preserving Modern landmarks. These include buildings by architectural luminaries Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Eduardo Catalano, Paul Rudolph, Charles Gwathmey, Edward Durell Stone, and Warren Platner. The exhibit’s goal is to persuade the public that Modern buildings can continue to be economically and functionally viable.

“The demise of Modern buildings is a local issue,” said TMH founder and board chair George Smart. “Starting with the destruction of Raleigh’s Catalano House in 2001, we have lost many ‘livable works of art.’ In addition to the photographs, the exhibit will include rare models and a ongoing video loop of award-winning houses in North Carolina. People can learn about great NC houses still standing, which ones are endangered, and how we can work to preserve them.”

Modernist architecture firms and product vendors in the Triangle area are sponsoring each day of the exhibit. They will share samples of their own work and be on hand to speak with tour-goers. These sponsors are: Frank Harmon, FAIA, of Frank Harmon Architect PA; Vinny Petrarca of Tonic Design + Construction; Phil Szostak, FAIA, of Szostak Design/Build; Steve Schuster, FAIA, of Clearscapes Architecture; Kenneth Hobgood, FAIA, of Kenneth Hobgood Architects; Matthew Griffith, AIA, and Erin Sterling Lewis, AIA, of In Situ Studio; Will Alphin of Alphin Design Build; Jerry Nowell of Nowell’s Contemporary Furniture; and Dan Nicely, Assoc. AIA, of VMZINC.

Tickets to the exhibit are: Opening night, June 1, $6.95 in advance, $10 at the door; June 2-9, $3.95 advance, $5 at the door. AIA North Carolina members are admitted free. Each night is hosted or sponsored by a different design firm. For more information and tickets, visit http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/atrisk.htm. Proceeds benefit TMH’s ongoing documentation, preservation, and promotion projects.

The new AIA NC Center for Architecture & Design is located at 14 East Peace Street directly across from Peace College. For more information, contact George Smart at 919-740-8407.

About Triangle Modernist Houses

Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) is an award-winning 501C3 nonprofit established in 2007 dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential design. The award-winning website is now the largest educational and historical archive for Modernist residential design in America. TMH also hosts popular Modernist house tours several times a year, giving the public access to the Triangle’s most exciting residential architecture, past and present. These tours raise awareness and help preserve these “livable works of art” for future generations. For more information: www.trianglemodernisthouses.com. TMH also has an active community on Facebook.

About the World Monument Fund:

Founded in 1965, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private international historic preservation organization based in New York City. For nearly 50 years, WMF has worked to save and preserve endangered historic sites in all areas of the world. The “Modernism at Risk” exhibit is underwritten nationally through a generous gift from Knoll. For more information: www.wmf.org.

Architect Irvin Pearce Assumes Leadership of AIA North Carolina

Categories: Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee
Comments (0)

Irv Pearce, AIA

March 7, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Irvin Pearce, AIA, a founding principal of the Raleigh, NC, architecture firm Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee, has been elected president of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA NC) for the year 2012.

Pearce has been active in the AIA NC chapter and other design community initiatives for several years. He was president of the AIA Triangle Section of AIA NC (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) in 2008, having previously served as a board member, secretary, and treasurer. He received a 2008 AIA Triangle Section President’s Award in recognition of his efforts on behalf of the profession.

From 2010-11, Pearce served as a board member of North Carolina GreenPower, the first statewide green energy program in the nation supported by all the state’s utilities. From 2008 to today, he has served as Co-Chair of the Design and Construction Committee for AIA NC’s new Center for Architecture and Design headquarters building, which was recently completed in downtown Raleigh.

A graduate of North Carolina State University’s College of Design, Pearce was principal in charge on several projects for the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, including renovations to Memorial Auditorium and design and construction of the Fletcher Opera Theater and Meymandi Concert Hall. Irv’s involvement was a key contribution towards making Meymandi Concert Hall such a resounding acoustical success.

As AIA NC’s president, Pearce acts as leader for and has general supervision over the affairs of the chapter. He is responsible for building consensus among the membership over relevant issues and acting as a liaison between AIA North Carolina, AIA South Atlantic Region, and AIA National.

“I will use all available resources of AIA North Carolina, including the recently completed Center for Architecture and Design, to advocate for the profession of architecture and each and every architect’s ability to design and help build a better and more sustainable North Carolina,” Pearce said.

The American Institute of Architects is the voice of the architecture profession and has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857. The AIA NC chapter includes seven sections across the state. For more information, visit www.aianc.org.

For more information on Irv Pearce, visit www.pbclarchitecture.com.

About Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee:

Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee (PBC+) is an award-winning, full-service architectural firm specializing in academic and cultural arts projects. PBC+L has offices in Raleigh and Asheville, North Carolina. The firm’s work has been published in numerous professional journals and was ranked 23^rd in Architecture magazine’s Top 50 Firms in the nation. For more information, visit www.pbclarchitecture.com or find the firm on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Archive for: AIA NC

Her responsibilities will include administrative support.