Archive for: architecture

VMZinc Launches “Interviews with Architects” on YouTube

Categories: Umicore Building Products, VMZINC
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Sharing conversations with some of the world’s most creative designers. 

May 15, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — VMZINC®, the brand of architectural zinc manufactured by Umicore Building Products USA, has released the first in its series of “Interviews with Architects” on YouTube. The first video features award-winning architect Dean Marchetto, AIA, founding principal of Marchetto, Higgins, Stieve of Hoboken, New Jersey.

Formerly with Gwathmey Siegel Architects in New York, Dean Marchetto moved back to his hometown to open his own firm, eventually partnering with architects Michael Higgins and Bruce Stieve.

In 1995 Marchetto purchased a 100-year-old church in Hoboken, which he converted into his firm’s offices. The building had been used by the American Legion since 1930. The American Legion purchased it from a Norwegian congregation.

In the video, Marchetto tells interview Dan Nicely of VMZINC, that when the firm expanded in 2000, he decided to add an addition at the rear of the building, where the old church’s missing apse would have been. But rather than mimic the traditional architecture, as a modernist designer he chose to juxtapose the old with the new and, instead, designed a sweeping, curvilinear addition that floats above the ground on five slender and curving columns.

“I like the old with the new,” he says.

Marchetto worked with the Product Architecture Lab at the Stevens Institute of Technology to create the traffic-stopping (literally) curved form. He points out that the lab used a similar computer program that famed architect Frank Gehry uses for his buildings’ many odd and dramatic forms.

In the video, which was edited by Chandra Hester of Umicore Building Products, Marchetto describes the intricate construction of the great form that was ultimately covered in red, green, and blue hexagonal VMZINC PIGMENTO tiles.

Click HERE to view the entire Marchetto interview on YouTube.

Additional “Interviews with Architects” videos are in the works. Several will be screened in VMZINC’s booth (No. 329) during the 2012 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in Washington, D.C., May 17-19, and eventually posted on YouTube.

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

About VMZINC and Umicore Building Products:

VMZINC is a leading specialist in innovative zinc solutions for building envelopes and the international brand name of rolled zinc products manufactured and sold by the Building Products Unit of the Umicore Group, which specializes in materials technology. 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.

TMH Announces The George Matsumoto Prize – Calls For Entries

Categories: Triangle Modernist Houses
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George Matsumoto, FAIA

Unique Modernist architecture competition features blue-ribbon jury, public voting, and $6000 in honors.

May 10, 2012 (Durham, NC) – George Smart, Executive Director of Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), today announced the inaugural George Matsumoto Prize, a unique architecture competition to recognize recent achievement in North Carolina Modernist residential design. TMH is an award-winning, non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving and promoting Modernist architecture.

The Prize is named for George Matsumoto, FAIA, one of the founding faculty members of the North Carolina State University School of Design (now College of Design), internationally known for his mid-century Modernist houses in North Carolina and elsewhere. Matsumoto will serve as Honorary Chair on the jury of well-recognized architects, including Frank Harmon, FAIA, (Chair), Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, David Jameson, FAIA, Tom Kundig, FAIA, and Larry Scarpa, FAIA.

“George Matsumoto was the preeminent Modernist designer in North Carolina in the 1950s,” said jury chair Frank Harmon. “As he made a lasting impression through his buildings and his influence on a generation of students, it is appropriate to honor him through this design awards program as a means of continuing his legacy of good modern design.”

The George Matsumoto Prize is unique among design competitions for four reasons:

1.     The Matsumoto Prize is open to both architects and designers anywhere in the world who have designed houses built in North Carolina since 2006.

2.     To encourage participation while recognizing the expense of preparing submissions, winners of the Matsumoto Prize receive honors of $3000, $2000, and $1000, respectively.

3.     For the first time ever in a North Carolina design competition, the public will participate as a juror, voting for their favorite houses. The public’s three favorites will receive a special certificate.

4.     The Matsumoto Prize is transparent – submitters identify themselves and their firms.

TMH’s objectives in creating the Matsumoto Prize are “to expand the public’s awareness about the great inventory of North Carolina Modernist houses, to showcase the skills of the North Carolina residential design community, and to inform the public that great design can be well within a homebuyer’s reach,” said George Smart.

“These entries will inspire people dreaming of a Modernist house to know Modernist design is affordable, efficient, sustainable, and most importantly, a house their families will love decades,” he added. “By using an architect or designer, you can have a house, or you can have a great house, for the same budget.”

Competition rules, submission procedures, and deadlines are available online at www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/prize.htm.

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 the largest open digital archive for Modernist residential design in America. TMH also hosts popular house tours and trips several times a year. For more information: www.trianglemodernisthouses.com. TMH also maintains an active community on Facebook.

VMZinc Launches Two New Facebook Pages To Increase The Conversation

Categories: Umicore Building Products, VMZINC
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And invites visitors to vote for their favorite projects for a special ArchiZinc Trophee.

May 1, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — Embracing the power of social media, VMZINC®, the recognized brand of architectural zinc manufactured by Umicore Building Products USA, has launched two new Facebook pages to complement its original Facebook page: “VMZINCresidential” and “VM ZINC for Architecture.”

According to Dan Nicely, an associate member of the AIA and UBP’s Director of Market Development, the “VMZINCresidential” page will specifically address applications and ideas around using architectural zinc on single-family and multi-family housing. It will also allow residential architects and homeowners to discuss their decisions to use VMZINC architectural zinc on roofs, walls and other applications.

Nicely said the global corporation hopes architects will visit the “VM Zinc for Architecture” page to discover the broad range of surface aspects available from VMZINC and to share their experiences with using architectural zinc on a variety of projects types and styles, from modern structures to historic restoration.

To launch “VM ZINC for Architecture,” VMZINC is also encouraging visitors to vote for their favorite project in VMZINC’s gallery of photos. The winning projects will receive the “Fans’ Special ArchiZinc Trophee.”

Open to architects throughout the world, the ArchiZinc Trophee competition awards prizes in four building categories: Individual Housing, Collective Housing, Public Buildings and Commercial Buildings. The purpose of this bi-annual competition is not only to reward the most attractive projects for the quality of their architecture and their integration into the environment, but also to highlight zinc through appropriate new applications.

Nicely said VMZINC is keenly aware that Facebook offers a platform for promoting its products and services, for facilitating direct customer engagement and two-way communication, and for getting its messages to go “viral” around the Internet.

“We hope architects, contractors, installers, business and homeowners who specify VMZINC will get in on the conversation and let us hear from them on one of our three Facebook pages,” he said.

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.

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

Categories: Triangle Modernist Houses
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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.

PBC+L To Sponsor Ninth Annual Urban Design Conference

Categories: Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee
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In support of the theme “Urban Reset: Green, Smart, Just”

March 12, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee (PBC+L), an award-winning architecture firm with offices in Raleigh and Asheville, NC, has signed on to sponsor the ninth annual Urban Design Conference to be held in the Raleigh Convention Center on March 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Urban Design Conference is presented by the NC State University College of Design in conjunction with the City of Raleigh’s Department of City Planning, the Urban Design Center, and NC State Foundation.

This year’s conference, entitled “Urban Reset: Green, Smart, Just,” will focus on methods for designing more carbon neutral, technologically advanced, and socially equitable buildings in urban centers.

PBC+Lis well known for its commitment to sustainable design. Among other “green” projects, PBC+L designed Carrington Hall at UNC-Chapel Hill, the first building in the 17-campus UNC system to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation. The firm also designed buildings for Wake Technical Community College’s Northern Wake Campus, the first LEED-rated multi-building community college campus in the nation.

Doug Brinkley, FAIA

PBC+L principal and partner Doug Brinkley, FAIA, was elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects based entirely upon his advocacy for sustainable design and construction practices through education, legislative advocacy, and architectural design.

“It is both a natural extension of our firm’s efforts and an honor to support the Urban Design Conference,” said Brinkley, who also serves as the firm’s sustainability officer, “especially this year when its mission is to challenge participants to lead this region toward world-class urban design that is smart, sustainable, and just.”

The Conference is presented in concert with the fifth annual Growing in Place Symposium to be held the day before, on March 16, at the Marbles Museum in downtown Raleigh. The theme for that event is “Design for Children, Families, and Nature in the City.”

For more information on the ninth annual Urban Design Conference, go to www.ncsu.edu/project/design-projects/urban-design-conference/.

For more information on Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee, visit www.pbclarchitecture.com.

About Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee:

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 23rd 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.

Frank Harmon Revisits “America’s New Regionalism” During 2012 AIA National Convention

Categories: Frank Harmon Architect PA
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Frank Harmon, FAIA

The award-winning architect will present his popular seminar in Washington, D.C.

March 6, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — For the fifth year, Frank Harmon, FAIA, principal of   Architect PA in Raleigh, NC, will present his popular seminar, “Architects Discuss America’s New Regionalism,” during the 2012 American Institute of Architects National Convention and Design Exposition.

The Convention will be held May 17 to 19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The theme for this year’s convention is  “Design Connects.”

Harmon’s seminar explores regionalism’s influence on contemporary design and building techniques that connect it to the social, cultural, economic and environmental needs of its place. It illuminates practical and advanced techniques and technologies for creating an architecture that is firmly connected to the people and the place in which it is built while maintaining budget and contributing to environmental sustainability.

“For architecture to truly connect to its place and its community,” Harmon says, “it must conserve, protect, and engage the specific culture, climate, materials, topography and best building practices of the region in which it is built.”

David Jameson, AIA, of Alexandria, Virginia, Peter Q. Bohlin, FAIA, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Mark McInturff, FAIA, of Washington, D.C., will join Harmon for 90-minute seminar. The three award-winning architects will use examples of their own work to demonstrate real applications of the principles of modern regional design that should “inspire other architects to unlock their potential and ignite changes in how they design and construct buildings in their own regions,” Harmon says.

Frank Harmon, Professor in Practice at North Carolina State University’s College of Design, is recognized nationally as a leader in modern, innovative, sustainable, and regionally appropriate buildings. His work has received numerous awards, has been featured in many journals and books on the subject, and has been exhibited in the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Recently, Architect magazine ranked Harmon’s firm 22nd among the nation’s top 50 firms.

For more information on the 2012 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition, go to www.aia.org.

For more information on Frank Harmon, 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. The year the firm was ranked 13th 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. Recent projects include Duke University’s Ocean Science Teaching Center in Beaufort, the NC Botanical Garden’s new Visitors 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, Arch Daily, and Residential Architect. For more information, go to www.frankharmon.com.

“Appetite 4 Architecture” Dinner Features Special Guest Kenneth Hobgood, FAIA

Categories: Kenneth E. Hobgood
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Kenneth Hobgood, FAIA

February 10, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Kenneth Hobgood, FAIA, founder and principal of the award-winning firm Kenneth E. Hobgood Architects in Raleigh, will be a featured guest at Triangle Modernist Houses’ “Appetite4Architecture” dinner on Tuesday, February 21, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in 18 Seaboard restaurant in Raleigh.

Now in its third year, “Appetite 4 Architecture” 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.

Kenneth Hobgood is well known for modern, minimal, and timeless architecture of all types, especially houses. His work has been exhibited in Japan, Germany, Italy, England, and the US and featured in national journals and books such as Architectural Digest, the Wall Street Journal, Architectural Record, Arch Daily.com, and The New American House by James Trulove, Among his best known, award-winning residential designs are:

  • The Gravely Khachatoorian House in Chapel Hill, which was featured in Architectural Digest.
  • The Bugg House in Durham, which was featured in the Wall Street Journal.
  • The house at 100 Hermitage Road in Charlotte, which was featured in Architectural Record.
  • And the Paletz Moi House in the Durham, which was featured in the Raleigh News & Observer.

Hobgood’s firm recently completed a 22,000-square-foot, four-level, all-glass house in Kuwait City, Kuwait, that received a design award from the North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA NC) in 2007 in the “unbuilt” category.

Kenneth Hobgood has been a visiting critic at Auburn University, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech and the University of Kentucky, and an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University since 1988. In 1997, he received the NC State University College of Design’s Kamphoefner Prize for “consistent integrity and devotion to modern architecture.”

Joining Hobgood for the February 21 “A4A” dinner are Erin Sterling Lewis, AIA, of In Situ Studio in Raleigh, and Brian Shawcroft, AIA, a fellow recipient of the Kamphoefner Prize.

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 http://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 http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

For more information on Kenneth Hobgood, visit www.kennethhobgood.com.

About Kenneth E. Hobgood, Architects:

Kenneth Hobgood, FAIA, founded Kenneth E Hobgood Architects in Raleigh, NC, in 1992. Since then, the firm has received 39 design awards from the American Institute of Architects North Carolina chapter and its work has been published and exhibited in the United States, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, England and Germany. In 1997, Kenneth Hobgood as awarded the Kamphoefner Prize from North Carolina State University’s College of Design for “consistent integrity and devotion to the development of modern architecture” in North Carolina. He has served as a visiting critic at Auburn University, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, and the University of Kentucky, and as an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University since 1988. For more information visit www.kennethhobgood.com.

Frank Harmon Chairs Boston Society of Architects Awards Jury

Categories: Frank Harmon Architect PA
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To select the best new buildings by Massachusetts architects. 

Frank Harmon, FAIA

February 2, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) –  Frank Harmon, FAIA, principal of Frank Harmon Architect PA in Raleigh, NC, recently served as chairman of the 2011 Boston Society of Architects/AIA design awards program and presented the awards to the winners during a gala ceremony held January 26 at the Marriott Copley Place.

The sole judging criterion for the Boston program was design excellence. The jury was empowered to determine the extent to which design excellence is defined by aesthetic, functional, contextual, sustainable, social or other characteristics. The jury could also elect to honor all or part of a project, in any category they choose. The categories included: Accessible Design; Education Facilities Design, John M. Clancy Award for Socially Responsible Housing, Sustainable Design, Unbuilt, Honor Awards for Design Excellence, and the Harleston Parker Medal award.

“The work of the Boston Society of Architects is quite simply exceptional, some of the best in the country,” Harmon said. “It was a pleasure to review their work.”

This year’s Boston jury was composed of members of the Triangle Architecture and Design Society (TADS), a group of architects from Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, that fosters collaboration among competing area practitioners and encourages greater public understanding of architectural design. TADS has proven so successful that it has garnered national AIA attention.

TADS members participating with Harmon on the Boston jury were: Roger Clark FAIA, Distinguished Professor at the College of Design NCSU, and David Hill, AIA, Associate professor at the College of Design; Dennis Stallings, AIA, and Irv Pearce, AIA, of Pearce, Brinkley, Cease + Lee; Ellen Weinstein, AIA; Phil Szostak, FAIA; Bryan Bell, AIA; and Victoria Bell as an alternate juror.

Frank Harmon is a sought-after jury member and jury chairman for professional design competitions across the nation. For more information, visit www.frankharmon.com.

For more information on the Boston Society/AIA, visit www.architects.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 Residential Architect. For more information, go to www.frankharmon.com.

Triangle Modernist Houses Announces The 2012 “Appetite4Architecture” Series

Categories: Triangle Modernist Houses
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A4A dinners bring architects and the public together in a social atmosphere.

January 9, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) has announced its third “Appetite4Architecture” series of dinners that give the public the chance to enjoy relaxed, informal discussions in an upscale dining environment, where diners have direct access to some of the area’s best residential architects and professionals.

TMH is an award-winning, non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving and promoting Modernist residential design.

“Dreaming of a new Modernist house? Long admired the work of a local architect or designer? Thinking about architecture as a career? Appetite4Architecture offers a chance to break bread with prominent members of the Triangle’s design community in an intimate, affordable small group setting,” said TMH founder and board chair George Smart. “There are no presentations or PowerPoint slides — just great conversations with award-winning cuisine.”

The schedule and special guests for the 2012 A4A dinners:

Again this year, the “A4A” dinners will be held at 18 Seaboard in Raleigh and begin at 6:30 p.m. 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.

TMH requires a minimum of 10 participants per event (maximum 17). Otherwise the event will be cancelled with full refunds. If someone purchases a ticket but then can’t attend, substitutions are allowed. Payments are nonrefundable except for event cancellation. All proceeds benefit TMH’s ongoing documentation, preservation, and house tours programs. For more information call George Smart, 919-740-8407.

For more information on TMH, visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

About Triangle Modernist Houses:

Triangle Modernist Houses was established in 2007 to document, preserve, and promote Modernist residential design. The award-winning website is now the largest educational and historical archive for Modernist residential design in America. TMH also hosts Modernist house tours several times a year. These tours raise awareness and help preserve these “livable works of art” for future generations. Visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com. TMH also has an active community on Facebook.

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

Categories: architecture, business, construction, environment, green architecture, landscape architecture, modern architecture, sustainability, video
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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.

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