TMH Announces The 2013 George Matsumoto Prize For Modernist Houses

George Matsumoto, FAIA

 This unique architecture competition celebrates Modernist residential design throughout North Carolina.

May 20, 2013 (Durham, NC) – George Smart, Executive Director of Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), has announced the 2013 George Matsumoto Prize to recognize excellence in recent single-family Modernist residential design in North Carolina. Submissions are being accepted starting today.

Now in its second year, the Prize is named for George Matsumoto, FAIA, a founding member of the NC State University School of Design faculty who is well known for the mid-century Modernist houses he designed in North Carolina.

The Matsumoto Prize is a unique design awards program. Unlike other programs, the Prize offers monetary rewards ($6000 total), online public voting along with a blue-ribbon professional jury, and this program focuses on the houses submitted rather than those who designed them: The houses, built since January 1, 2007, must be in North Carolina but the designers can be from anywhere and they do not have to be licensed architects or members of the American Institute of Architects.  (In North Carolina, you do not have to be a licensed architect to design a private residence.)

The Matsumoto Prize is also transparent. All information submitted, including the designer’s name, will be published online and available to the jurors and the public. The public vote counts for one-sixth of the jury decision for the final award winners. The houses with the highest number of public votes will also receive special “People’s Choice” recognition.  Public voting will begin on www.trianglemodernisthouses.com in early July and end July 20^th.

Again this year, George Matsumoto will serve as the jury’s Honorary Chair. Also returning to the jury are: Frank Harmon, FAIA, (Chair) of Frank Harmon Architect PA, Raleigh; Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, of Marlon Blackwell Architect, Fayetteville, Arkansas; Tom Kundig, FAIA, of Olson Kundig Architects, Seattle, Washington; and Larry Scarpa, FAIA, of Brooks + Scarpa Architects, Los Angeles, California.

Triangle Modernist Houses is an award-winning, non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential design. According to George Smart, the objectives for 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.”

“We hope these entries demonstrate to the public that Modernist design is affordable, efficient, sustainable, and most importantly, a house a family will love decades,” he added. “We also want potential homeowners to realize that, by using an architect or designer, they can have a great home for the same budget as an ordinary house.”

Competition rules, submission procedures, and deadlines are available online at www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/prize2013. To see last year’s submissions and winners: http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/prize.htm.

Triangle Modernist Houses Founder Receives AIA Triangle Award

George Smart is recognized for his many contributions on behalf of modernist

George Smart

architecture and architects.

 

April 29, 2013 (Raleigh, NC) — George Smart, founder and Executive Director of Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), the non-profit organization that archives, preserves, and promotes Modernist residential architecture in North Carolina, has received the 2013 Isosceles Award from the American Institute of Architects Triangle Section (AIAT).

 

“This award is a recognition of a love affair with modern residential architecture,” said Michael Harwood, AIA, University Architect for NC State University, during the awards presentation. “George Smart has done so much to support, preserve, encourage, and celebrate modern architecture. Triangle Modernist Houses is a treasure trove of information about modern residential architecture and continues to look for new ways to expand that celebration.”

 

The purpose of the Isosceles Award is “to recognize individuals, institutions, associations, or companies outside the profession of architecture who, in collaboration with AIA Triangle members, have made significant contributions to the improvement of the built environment,” according to the AIAT website.

 

Smart’s contributions began six years ago when he started the website www.trianglemodernisthouses. His initial goal was to document the surprising number of existing Modernist houses in the Triangle area. Since then, the archive has expanded to cover the entire state, as well as national and international Modernist masters’ bodies of work. Today, the archive is the largest open digital archive for residential Modern in the United States.

 

Smart’s mission has become known by the many events he organizes that bring Modernist residential design and the public together.  Among those events are popular single- and multi-homes tours, an architecture movie series, summer-long networking events for anyone interested in and working in modern design, and the Matsumoto Prize, an annual design awards program named for Modernist master George Matsumoto, FAIA.

Smart created the Prize to “encourage the public to appreciate architecture as an art form, and [to encourage] young architects to continue the Modernist movement in houses so important to North Carolina and the arts,” as stated on the TMH website.

 

“Thanks to the thousands of tour participants and hundreds of volunteers, TMH has grown into a thriving community that continues documenting, preserving, and promoting the state’s Modernist houses,” Smart said after receiving the Isosceles Award. “It is my privilege to honor the families who cherished, and the architects who designed, the houses our lively community loves. I accept this honor from AIA Triangle on behalf of everyone involved at TMH and look forward to continued collaboration with AIA Triangle.”

 

Architect Frank Harmon, FAIA, and over a dozen other well-known architects in the Triangle region, nominated Smart for the award, which was presented during AIAT’s April 18 awards dinner at the new James B. Hunt Jr. Library at NC State University.

 

For more information on AIA Triangle, go to www.aiatriangle.org.

 

 

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

 

BuildSense in Durham Hosts “Thirst4Architecture” Happy Hour April 25

 

 

April 9, 2013 (Durham, NC) – BuildSense/Studio B Architecture, a design/build firm in Durham, will host Triangle Modernist Houses’ (TMH) popular “Thirst4Architecture” happy hour event on Thursday, April 25, from 6-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

 

Thirst4Architecture events are casual gathering opportunities for anyone interested in architecture and design.  The host business provides refreshments.

 

“We welcome Modernist homeowners, architects, artists, designers, realtors, engineers, contractors, property investors, building managers, Modernist homeowners, materials and furniture dealers, and anyone else with a huge crush on great architecture,” said TMH founder and director George Smart. “T4A events focus on building relationships, generating passion about good design, creating strategic alliances, and connecting people to each other.”

 

BuildSense/Studio B Architecture building.

BuildSense/Studio B’s Randy Lanou and Erik Mehlman will open their sustainable offices for April’s T4A. The building is an old Tire King location that the partners transformed into an exemplary “green” commercial structure complete with wind power, solar power, sustainable materials, and a charging station for electric cars. The building utilizes about 35 percent of the energy required to power a typical building of the same size and use. As a result, it was named Triangle Business Journal’s Green Commercial Project of the Year in 2012.

 

Build Sense/Studio B shares the building at 502 Riggsbee Avenue, Durham, with ClearVue Glass and a yoga studio. For more information and directions, visit www.buildsense.com.

 

For more information on Triangle Modernist Houses and other T4A events, go to www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

 

 

 

TMH To Host Public Tour of The Larson Residence

Late architect Jon Condoret’s favorite project will be open to the public for the first time.

March 20, 2013 (Durham, NC) – Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), the award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential architecture, will host a tour of the unusual 1973 Arthur and Florence Larson Residence in Durham on Saturday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Originally designed by the late Chapel Hill architect Jon Condoret, the Larson home began at 4825 square feet. When the Larsons sold the house, the new owners engaged California architect Fu-Tung Chung to design the renovation, which was built by Landmark Renovation with the late landscape architect, Judy Harmon, designing an entrance path and garden. A further 2011 addition expanded the house to 6040 square feet.

“Jon Condoret considered the Larson house his favorite project,” said George Smart, TMH Executive Director. “It’s easy to see why. The expansive walls and ceilings, combined with exposed beams, echo the angular exterior.  The house is filled with natural light and views of the wooded surroundings. We are very grateful to the current owners for opening it on April 13 to the public.”

According to the Durham Herald’s 1993 obituary, Arthur Larson joined the Duke faculty in 1958 and became only the second James R. Duke professor of law after having served as Undersecretary of Labor, Director of the U.S. Information Agency, and as special assistant in charge of speeches for President Dwight E. Eisenhower. He also served as consultant on international affairs to President Lyndon B. Johnson, the U.S. State Department, and the United Nations.  While the Larsons lived in their Modernist home, they frequently entertained friends and fellow Duke Faculty, often holding classical music concerts in the large two-story-clear living room.

Tickets to the tour are $6.50 in advance or $10 at the door. (Advance sales close a week before the tour.) Admission is on a timed-entry basis every 30 minutes. Photography is allowed anywhere inside and outside the house. Architects can earn continuing education credits for attending the tour if arrangements are made with the American Institute of Architects in advance.

To order tickets, select an entry time, get directions to the house, and for additional information, go to www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/tour. Proceeds benefit TMH’s ongoing mission. Call George Smart with any questions: 919-740-8407.

 

A Modernist Passing: Death Of The Paschal House In Raleigh

Photo by Colin Campbell for the News & Observer

Though praised by Frank Lloyd Wright, Paschal heirs tear down their iconic childhood home.

March 5, 2013 (Raleigh, NC) – Despite years of preservationists pursuing every conceivable option to save it, the 1950 George and Beth Paschal House, a Raleigh mid-century modern icon designed by James Fitzgibbon that even Frank Lloyd Wright praised, was suddenly destroyed on Friday, March 1.

Concerned preservationists were completely unaware that demolition was imminent. That very morning George Smart, founder and director of the non-profit Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), along with Myrick Howard, President of Preservation North Carolina, and Raleigh architect Frank Harmon, FAIA, presented a petition to the City of Raleigh to have the Paschal house declared a Raleigh Historic Landmark.  Such designation would have put a “stay of execution” on any demolition.

As lead petitioner, Smart prepared the extensive documents and hand-delivered them on Friday, March 1, to City officials.  By noon he learned that, without public knowledge, the heirs obtained a demolition permit two weeks earlier and a backhoe was already on site that moment, knocking down the house.

The property will be subdivided into five lots. “We don’t have all the information yet,” Smart said, “but this appears not to be a straight sale. The heirs are partnering with a developer, Anderson Marlowe, to build five $2 million-plus McMansions. That’s not going to be easy in this economy, even in that neighborhood.”

“It’s a tragedy,” Frank Harmon told the Raleigh News & Observer that afternoon. “We’ve lost the greatest example of residential design in the last 60 years.”  The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

“What’s really sad,” Smart added, “is that the heirs could have subdivided the land into four lots and walked away with $2- to $2.5 million five years ago, thus saving the house. And by now it would have been remodeled and loved by new owners.”

“It was an act of vandalism,” an irate Myrick Howard told the newspaper

To read the News & Observer’s full report on the demolition of the 1950 Paschal House: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/01/2718520/demolition-of-modernist-raleigh.html

For a complete history of the house, including the many preservation efforts, go to http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/fitzgibbon.htm and scroll down to “1950.”

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Leland Little Auction Gallery To Host “Thirst4Architecture” Happy Hour

The first 2013 T4A networking event sponsored by Triangle Modernist Houses

February 14, 2013 (Hillsborough, NC) — Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., a premier North Carolina auction gallery in Hillsborough NC, will host Triangle Modernist Houses’ (TMH) popular “Thirst4Architecture” happy hour event on Thursday, March 14, from 6-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

This will be the first of the 2013 spring/summer TMH Thirst4Architecture events, which serve as networking opportunities for anyone interested in architecture and design, including architects and designers. The host business or organization provides refreshments.

“We welcome Modernist homeowners, architects, artists, designers, realtors, engineers, contractors, property investors, building managers, Modernist homeowners, materials and furniture dealers, and anyone else with a huge crush on great architecture,” said TMH founder and director George Smart. “T4A events focus on building relationships, generating passion about good design, creating strategic alliances, and connecting people to each other.”

This will also be the first time Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales (LLAES, Ltd.) has hosted a T4A event.

“We aim to introduce our auctions to local and regional Modernist aficionados and collectors,” said Leland Little, auctioneer and founder. “We applaud what Mr. Smart has developed with TMH — an effective and energetic group of Modernist supporters — and we appreciate the opportunity to serve this cause by opening our gallery doors wide for the first T4A event of 2013.”

The LLAES, Ltd. auction gallery is located at 620 Cornerstone Ct, Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919-644-1243). For directions and more information, visit www.llauctions.com.

Triangle Modernist Houses is an award-winning, non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving and promoting Modernist residential design from the 1950s to today. Future T4A events will be held at BuildSense in Durham (April 18), in situ studio in Raleigh (May 16), Byrd Tile in Raleigh (June 20), the AIA NC Center for Architecture & Design in Raleigh (July 18), and TRIG Modern in Raleigh (August 15). For more information on TMH and the T4A events, visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

About Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.:

LLAES, Ltd. specializes in consigning and auctioning estates and collections including, but not limited to, mid-century modern design, furniture, fine wine, collectible cars, militaria, silver, fine art, Asian art, pottery, porcelain, and jewelry. Our fine offerings represent various styles, cultures, and histories.

 

Preservation Greensboro Inc. To Host “Mayberry Modernism”

 

George Smart

Triangle Modernist Houses’ founder will present his signature talk on North Carolina’s Modernist legacy.

February 4, 2013 (Greensboro, NC) –Preservation Greensboro, Inc. and Triangle Modernist Houses’ founder and director George Smart will present “Mayberry Modernism: North Carolina’s Modernist Legacy” on Wednesday, March 6, at 6 p.m. in the Elon School of Law building at 201 North Greene Street, room 207. The event is free and open to the public and seating is limited.

“Mayberry Modernism” showcases the state’s surprising collection of Modernist residences from the 1950s through today, many in great shape but some endangered or even destroyed. In 2007, Smart discovered that many of the state’s “livable works of art” are endangered or have already been destroyed.

“Most people, even architects, are surprised by the number of Modernist houses in the state,” Smart said. “ ‘Mayberry Modernism’ discusses the history of Modernist houses in North Carolina and showcases multiple photographs of these terrific houses — from both the past and the present.”

Benjamin Briggs, executive director for Preservation Greensboro, Inc., expressed his interest in partnering with TMH for this presentation:

“There is a growing awareness and appreciation of Modern architecture in Greensboro, especially among young people. Whether it is our Walter Gropius-designed factory, Edward Jenkins’ gymnasium at Dudley High School, or Eduardo Catalano’s Government Center – people are interested to learn more about this period of history that is so important to our city as a whole.”

Founded in 1966, Preservation Greensboro, Inc. (PGI) is Greensboro’s only citywide nonprofit membership organization that encourages the conservation of Greensboro’s architectural history by preserving or helping to preserve such sites as Blandwood Mansion, the Troy-Bumpass House, Dudley High School, Blue Bell Manufacturing Company, Lindley Park, and the UNCG Chancellor’s House. For more information, visit www.preservationgreensboro.org.

Since its start-up in 2007, Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) has become the largest archive of Modernist residential architecture in the nation. The award winning non-profit continues to facilitate public discovery of the state’s architectural legacy through its website, awww.trianglemodernisthouses.com, through multiple and single house tours, through trips in and outside the state, and other events. TMH also actively works to preserve Modernist houses by maintaining free, exclusive For Sale listing on the nonprofit’s website.

For more information on “Mayberry Modernism: North Carolina’s Modernist Legacy,” go to www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/presentations.htm.

About Preservation Greensboro Inc.:

PGI is a dynamic and resourceful organization that contributes a key role in the growth of Greensboro’s economy. With such diverse initiatives as Architectural Salvage of Greensboro, the Blandwood Museum, the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund, informative meetings, seminars, and special events, Preservation Greensboro is a constant voice within the community for revitalization efforts, improved quality of life, and conservation of historic resources for future generations. For more information: www.preservationgreensboro.org. On Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Preservation-Greensboro.

 

TMH Sponsors Tour Of The Largest Mid-Century Modern House In Raleigh

The 1960 Owen Smith House will be open to the public for the first time.

January 28, 2013 (Raleigh, NC) — The 1960 Owen and Dorothy Smith home in Raleigh’s Country Club Hills is not only the largest mid-century modernist house in Raleigh at 5000 square feet, it’s also a now-historic cache of design concepts that changed the way average Americans felt about home, space, and family life.

For the first time since it was built, the Owen Smith house at 122 Perquimans Drive will be open for public touring on Saturday, February 2, from 9 a.m. until noon, sponsored by Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH).
The stone, wood, and glass home was designed by its owner, architect Owen Smith (1917-2012), who transformed the basement space into sun-lit offices for his architectural practice, including a staff of six people.

Like other exemplary mid-century modernist houses, the Smith house features an open floor plan with living and dining rooms occupying separate areas of one central volume. Open floor plans, combined with modest bedrooms meant solely for sleeping, were intended to inspired families to spend more time together in the central living space.

Mid-century moderns also brought exterior materials into the interior. In this case, the slate flooring on the extended front porch reappears in the wide foyer. The same stone on exterior walls forms a dramatic living room wall that encases the fireplace. Stone walls also appear in the bedrooms.

In the 1950s, the idea of indoor-outdoor living was a new, revolutionary passion. To this end, the Smith house features an abundance of glass, including floor-to-ceiling glass at the main entrance, a steady row of windows that surround the kitchen, and an entire glass wall in the living room that opens onto an equally large screened-in back porch. A courtyard paved in river rock and walled in stone is in constant view from the living space’s lofty windows.

Beautifully landscaped and maintained, the house will go on the market later this year.

Tickets to the Owen Smith House Tour $10 per person at the door.  For details and directions, visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/smithhouse.

Proceeds from the tour benefit Triangle Modernist Houses’ ongoing mission to document, preserve and promote modernist residential design. For more information on TMH, visit www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.

 

Triangle Modernist Houses Presents “Eames: The Architect and The Painter”

A documentary film on designers Charles and Ray Eames ends the 4th annual Nowell’s Architecture Movie Series.

Charles and Ray Eames

January 23, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) — Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) will conclude its 4th Annual Nowell’s Architecture Movie Series with a special screening of “Eames: The Architect and The Painter” on Thursday, February 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Raleigh Grande cinema in Raleigh.

Charles Eames and his wife and partner, Ray, are widely regarded as two of America’s most important designers. They are perhaps best remembered for their mid-century modern plywood and fiberglass furniture, yet their Venice, California-based firm created an astonishing variety of other products, from splints for wounded soldiers during World War II, to photography, interiors, multi-media exhibits, graphics, games, films, and toys.

Their personal lives and their influence on significant events in American life have been less widely understood – from the development of modernism, to the rise of the computer age.  In its review of the documentary, the New York Times suggested that Charles and Ray Eames’ approach to product design and the presentation of information “was in its way as influential as [Apple founder Steve] Jobs’…[and] left traces in nearly every aspect of contemporary life.”

Created by Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey and narrated by James Franco, “Eames: The Architect and The Painter” is the first film since the Eames’ deaths dedicated to their creative geniuses and work. To view a trailer, go to www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/movies.

Lee Hansley Gallery in Raleigh is sponsoring this special screening. Modern Home Auction, Go Realty, The Kitchen Specialist, and Carrington Electric LLC, and VMZinc, as well as Nowell’s Contemporary Furniture, have sponsoring the entire series.

Individual admission is $9 per person per film, available at the door. Mod Squad members are admitted free. Proceeds benefit TMH’s ongoing documentation, preservation, and promotion programs for modernist residential architecture from the 1950s to today. To order advance tickets, go to www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/movies.

The Raleigh Grande is located at 4840 Grove Barton Road, Raleigh NC 27613, just off Lynn Road and Glenwood Avenue/Highway 70 West (919-226-2012).

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

Triangle Modernist Houses Announces 2013 Appetite 4 Architecture Series

 

Vinny Petrarca of Tonic Design will attend the January 15 A4A Dinner.
(Photo by Allen Weiss)

Informal dinners connect noted local Modernist house architects with the public.

January 2, 2013 (Raleigh, NC) — For anyone dreaming of a new Modernist house, or interested in  the work of a local architect or designer, or perhaps thinking about architecture as a career, Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) offers them public the opportunity to enjoy dinners with prominent members of the Triangle’s design community in a casual, small-group setting during the nonprofit organization’s annual “Appetite 4 Architecture” (A4A) series.

“A4A offers the public a unique opportunity to enjoy easy, informal discussions in an upscale dining environment with direct access to some of the area’s best residential architects and designers,” said TMH founder and director George Smart. “Participants are welcome to discuss anything they want with an array of award-winning professionals. They can discuss architecture, homebuilding, furnishings, real estate, or anything else. There are no presentations or PowerPoint slides, just great conversations.”

Each A4A dinner will be held at 18 Seaboard Contemporary American Grill in Raleigh and begin at 7 p.m.  The dinners include three courses (appetizer, entree, dessert) from a pre-selected menu, plus coffee/water/tea, tax, and gratuity. Vegetarian options are available and alcoholic beverages are available separately.

Matsumoto Award First Prize winner will also attend the Jan. 15th dinner.

The architects and designers on tap for this year’s series of A4A dinners are:

January 15:  The winners of the 2012 juried Matsumoto Prize for North Carolina Modernist residential architecture: John Reese, Mike Rantilla, and Vinny Petrarca. (Sponsored by VMZINC)

January 22: The “People’s Choice” winners of the 2012 Matsumoto Prize: Adam Sebastian, Will Alphin, and Scott Ogden. (Sponsored by VMZINC)

January 29:  architects Ellen Cassilly and Phil Freelon, along with jazz singer Nneena Freelon. Cassilly designed the Freelons’ 2200-square-foot penthouse condominium in downtown Durham’s Kress building. (Sponsored by Steelcase)

Tickets are $59 per dinner and are available at www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/a4a. A4A dinners tend to sell out far in advance, Smart said, so he encourages those interested to reserve their tickets soon. The deadline for reserving a seat at each dinner is one week prior.

All proceeds benefit TMH’s ongoing mission to document, preserve, and promote Modernist residential design. For more information and to reserve A4A tickets, go to www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/a4a.htm.