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in situ studio is nine!

Progress at House BC

Foundations are complete and it’s time to go vertical at House BC! Steel framing and the floor system are underway, and the spaces we have envisioned with our clients for the last year are about to materialize. This is one of the best parts of the job! We can’t wait to walk through the entry space, cross the catwalk, and hangout on the roof deck! Special thanks to Kemp Harris for his great efforts to bring the house to life.

Friday Morning Serial!

We will be picking back up with Friday Morning Serial at 8am on October 18th in our office. Art Howard will be discussing documentation of the Haiti reforestation project. Art is a photographer, videographer, and the owner of ARTWORK, Inc. He has spent his career traveling the world, and continues to explore and investigate – educating us about the far reaches of our world. Invite a friend and come for a great talk, great coffee, and a bowl of your favorite cereal! We hope to see you there! Photos by Art Howard.

Song(s) of the Month – Tiny Desk Concert

Please contact us if there is any way we can help you. 

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

Greetings from in situ studio! Its been quite a month – check out what we’ve been up to below!
 

new in situans

We have two awesome new in situans,Vincent Calabro and Natalie Williams.
Vincent grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland where he spent his youth eating his mother’s delicious Italian food, helping his father out on various construction projects, and riding his bike in circles with his brothers and friends. He went on to the University of Cincinnati to receive his Bachelor of Science in Architecture, graduating magna cum laude, and then to Yale for his Master of Architecture, where he won the Alpha Rho Chi Medal. Along the way, he spent time in New York, Laguna Beach, Copenhagen, Philadelphia, Rome, Chicago, and San Francisco.

In 2013 Vincent joined Studio Gang where he served in a key role on many of the Studio’s large-scale projects, including significant contributions to the design and construction administration of the University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons and design for the California College of the Arts Unified Campus. 

Outside of the office Vincent has continued research into the intersection of technology, nature, and design and their impact on society and culture. He is the co-author of an article on finance and architecture with Alejandro Zaera-Polo in Perspecta 47: Money and presented at the Corporeal Texture conference at the University of Cincinnati. In 2015 he co-founded the design collective Office of Things. 

Recently Vincent relocated to Durham where he is still raving about his mother’s cooking, relishing any opportunity to create, and riding his bike (less in circles this time) on the streets of the Triangle.

Natalie grew up in Greensboro, NC and is currently a student in the B. Arch program at NC State College of Design, where she graduated summa cum laude from the BEDA program. During her undergrad, she was involved in AIAS, was a Design Ambassador, got to study abroad in Prague, and won the Shawcroft drawing competition in 2017. In her free time she enjoys other forms of design and making, including drawing, painting, and embroidery.  One of her favorite projects from school is a conceptual pavilion for the NCMA. For the model, she wove paper around wooden dowels to create a modular canopy, intended to give a light-filled, textile quality to the pavilion.

The Fall Semester

Crane Fly

It’s rare for a day to go by at in situ headquarters without one or more of our staff taking advantage of the sneakily good taco + burrito scene in Raleigh. Our dBPA (daily Burritos Per Architect) ratio is one of the highest in the city, and possibly the state. In an homage to our ongoing love affair with the most important food group, we’d like to highlight a few of our favorites around Raleigh. 

Baja Burrito deserves the first mention for the shear number of times we’ve ordered their fish burritos. Featuring one of the tastiest hot sauces known to man, this California style burrito joint has been serving Raleigh from the Mission Valley shopping center since 1995.

Don Beto el Poblano has been the subject of the in situ newsletter once before, and may be the true office favorite for authentic  tacos. There is no bad choice, but the chicken taco at this taco truck on Capital Boulevard will have you justifying multiple trips a day, which Don Beto supports by offering amazing breakfast tacos!

Taqueria El Toro is a another contender for the best authentic tacos in Raleigh, and features an incredible self-serve toppings bar. Located off of Tryon Rd. and 401, this taqueria is paired with El Toro Supermarket for restocking your home taco stations. 

Gringo A Go Go is a short walk from our office, making it a favorite for celebratory lunches and hosting visitors to the office. The eclectic interior decorations and ever-changing combination of plants and sculptures on the exterior always leave us entertained and enjoying ourselves. And, margaritas!

Honorable Mentions – Guasaca serves up delicious Arepas, and has recently opened a location along Hillsborough St. Centro’s menu goes far beyond tacos and burritos, and is definitely the classiest mention on this list. El Paseo is an unassuming Salvadoran restaurant with an incredible menu. Try the Platanos Fritos!

Our professional mission is to discover more and better tacos as often as possible. Send us your favorites!
 

Book of the Month

This month’s BOTM is El croquis N. 196 [II] featuring the work of TEd’A arquitectes, a Spanish firm directed by Irene Pérez Piferrer + Jaume Mayol Amengual. It features their work between 2010 – 2018 and highlights their exceptional use of material to create spectacular and fun spaces. Get your copy here!

Please contact us if there is any way we can help you. 

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

RCR Summer Workshop

Zach was one of two young architects from the US accepted into this year’s RCR Summer Workshop. If he returns, he will be our August Friday Morning Serial guest speaker, speaking about his experience and how it has impacted the way he thinks about the design process. Please join us on Friday, August 16th, from 8:00-9:00 am at our office for his talk!

Walters’ Stair

Bo Saunder’s Residence

CONNECTIONS 82.1

We are excited to announce that the CONNECTIONS 81.2 Part 02 event is in the works! We hope you consider joining some or all of the events this September 20th and 21st! CONNECTIONS is an architect-led design initiative that facilitates socially responsible urban development conversations for sites not yet developed. In spring 2018, CONNECTIONS redefined the current role of the architect as one of instigator, leader, listener, and activist. Check out the new CONNECTIONS website for more information.

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

 

Spring Photoshoot

Last week, we braved the heat and worked with Keith Isaacs Photo to capture images of four recently completed projects – the Yamato Philbeck, Stimmel, Lamb, and Kimball residences. We are looking forward to seeing the proofs in a few weeks and can’t wait to share the final images with everyone later this summer. Thanks to our wonderful clients for the amazing opportunity to work on such a wide variety of projects and allowing us to invade their spaces last week. And, much love to Keith and Sara for their talent, great eye, and incredible patience. Stay tuned!
 

Book of the Month

The quarterly release of a new issue of el croquis is more than enough to get our office jazzed, so we are beyond excited for the release of the latest issue, el croquis 199, featuring the work of Smiljan Radic. This is a follow-up to his previous feature in el croquis 167, which is canon at in situ studio! Fat salty tears were shed over Wooden House, a home located on Colico Lake in Chile. What made us cry you ask? … a combination of beautiful wood detailing, a muted material palette, and the subtle use of color had us crooning like an army of city frogs. Oh yeah … the subterranean entrance wasn’t so bad either … get your copy here!

 

Elementary School Visits

This month, Erin and Jake both had opportunities to speak to local students about the profession of architecture. Jake spoke to the 7th grade art students at Johnston Charter Academy about how the skills they are developing in art classes are used every day by architects. The students were thrilled at the idea that they were already on the path to becoming architects, if they so choose! Erin participated in Career Day at Powell Elementary, where she fielded questions about the profession from 5th graders, and showed off the many ways that architects work with sketches, construction drawings, and physical models. We are always appreciative to be trusted with the task of inspiring young minds!

 

Greece + Croatia

Brittany went on a post-graduation trip to the Mediterranean, visiting Greece and Croatia. She enjoyed great weather, tasty food, and unforgettable experiences. Favorite eats of the trip were gyros in Greece and fresh oysters in Croatia. Highlights included kayaking in the Adriatic Sea along the old city walls of Dubrovnik, visiting art museums, and traveling around the island of Santorini via ATV. 

Please contact us if there is any way we can help you. 

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

AIA South Atlantic and AIA Triangle Design Awards

We are thrilled to have received four recent AIA design awards! Early this month, Church on Morgan was awarded a 2019 AIA Triangle Merit Award by Jury Chair, Steve Dumez, of Eskew Dumez Ripple. The awards event was held at Raleigh’s new Clearscapes-designed Union Station, which also won an award, along with projects by Duda Paine Architects, Evoke Studio Architecture, Louis Cherry Architecture, Perkins + Will, The Raleigh Architecture Company, and Somos Design / ThoughtCraft Architects. It was a fun night that culminated with office hero, Roger Clark, receiving the Isosceles Award! Less than two weeks later, we were stunned to receive three 2019 AIA South Atlantic Honor Awards for the Corbett Residence, the Ocotea Renovation, and The Ten at South Person, sweeping the housing category. Congrats to all the regional award the winners – Andre Johnson Architect, Cannon Architects, Clark Nexsen, Gensler, Liollio Architecture, Lord Aeck Sargent, Perkins + Will, Smith Dalia Architects, and Vines Architecture. And, special thanks to Jury Chair, Julie Snow, of Snow Kreilich Architects for recognizing our work!

Readings on Race

Connections 81.2 Studio

The Connections 81.2 studio at the NCSU College of Design is wrapping up, and students are preparing for their final presentations this Friday, 05 03 19. Erin and Matt have had a wonderful time teaching alongside Oz Ozburn of Design Ecology and Travis Klondike from the Coastal Dynamics Design Lab. Student work has focused on historical research, precedent study, masterplanning, and the design of detailed components of the masterplans to accommodate legacy programs and visualize outcomes of socially responsible development. If you are near campus on Friday, drop by Allred Gallery to see the work between 10:30 am and 5:00 pm. And, stay tuned for Connections 81.2 Part Two next fall!

Merkel Cooper on Dezeen and ArchDaily

The Merkel Cooper Residence has been featured on Dezeen and ArchDaily! Located on Lake Norman in Troutman, NC, the house was designed for a young retired couple and built by Kelly Custom Builders. The house is a simple structure sited to maximize the experience of the hillside, forest, and distant lake. Thanks to our wonderful clients and Ray Kelly for making the project possible and to Keith Isaacs for perfect photographs of the finished work.

Dreamville Festival

Fifth Year Reviews at Mississippi State University

Matt and Erin just returned from two days on fifth year juries at the Mississippi State University School of Architecture, Art, and Design. The work was provocative, and fellow jurors sparked lively debate about a number of student initiated projects. This was the third trip Matt and Erin have made to Mississippi since 2015, and each experience has been wonderful. Highlights were a chance to revisit the Chapel of Memories, Catfish at Rosey Baby, Matt’s first experience eating crawfish, BBQ at Little Dooey, and dinner the last night at the 1890’s rural farmhouse of school director Michael Berk. Thanks to Professor Jassen Callender for the invite and to the students for giving us so much to consider!

We’re looking forward to an amazing summer and are especially excited about a handful of projects that should start construction in the coming weeks. Please contact us if there is any way we can help you. 

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

SE Regional Park

We are thrilled to be working with Surface 678 on an exciting Wake County Parks & Recreation project! Master planning is underway, and we are looking forward to designing a park center and other park structures that respond to the mostly wooded and partially agricultural site located along Highway 42 in southeast Wake County. Stay tuned for more design details over the next few months!

 

Our State Tour

The Stimmel House was recently featured on a tour jointly sponsored by North Carolina Modernist Houses and Our State Magazine. Over one-hundred people came to the house on a gorgeous day, heard a brief presentation, and then explored the house inside and out. Thanks to our wonderful clients, Justin and Elena, for opening their home and to NCMH and the magazine for their support of modern architecture. We have two houses featured on the upcoming  April 13th NCMH Modapalooza Tour and plan to photograph Stimmel and four other houses later this spring with Keith Isaacs. Stay tuned!

Washington Elementary

Earlier this month, the office visited Washington GT Magnet Elementary to work with their first graders as they learn about architecture and 3D shapes.  After reading “Iggy Peck, Architect”, we helped student teams design and build structures using 3D Shapes. Popular designs included the PNC Tower, castles, and houses! Matt and Zach also made a quick pit stop to help Washington 3rd graders with their NC Science Olympiad pasta tower competition, designing the most structurally efficient towers using only pasta and glue. Special thanks to Mrs. Hoffman and the first grade team for opening their classrooms to us. We love sharing about what we do!

Rose Bell

Progress continues on our four story residential project in Charlotte, NC. Sited on a hill facing uptown, this home takes advantage of some of the best views in the city of the entire skyline. A fourth level roof deck offers the most privileged views, but a pool and hot tub at the patio level provide a perfect place to relax and take in the pink and orange hues of the sun setting against the city. Thanks to Kingswood Homes – we’re excited to see this one move toward completion!

Walters Residence

Book of the Month

Our book of the month is the newly released EL croquis 198, featuring the work of the American firm, Johnston Marklee. Founded in 1998 in Los Angeles by Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee, the firm has blazed a trail of inventive work across a range of building types. Their architecture is distinguished by a simplicity of form, beautifully contoured interior spaces, masterful play of light, and a very direct approach to problem solving. The recently completed Menil Drawing Institute is an office favorite, as is The View House. We’re happy to have added this book to our growing library!

Please contact us if there is any way we can help you. 

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

Matt had the opportunity to visit his family in Sarasota, Florida last week. Legendary American architect Paul Rudolph started his career there, designing several houses and a handful of public buildings, including the Riverview Highschool (demolished) and an addition to Sarasota Highschool. The architectural highlight of the trip was dropping by the 1962 Hiss Studio by Edward J. Seibert and the 1953 Umbrella House by Paul Rudolph, both in Lido Shores. Right next to each other, these are two of the best midcentury houses in the country. Matt stood in the street and wept.

It is impossible to overstate the significance of Van Loi II in the story of in situ studio. Many people think that Van Loi II prepares the best Vietnamese food in the state. We agree. The space is in an obscure strip mall off West Gate City Boulevard in Greensboro. The standard fare Pho and Vermicelli bowls are spectacular. We’ve been known to roll in on the way home from site visits in Charlotte, order our favorite dishes, douse them in chili oil, and scarf. Eating here is a full-blown flavor emergency. Stop by on your next trip to western NC!

Perfect Storm! “Dancing in the Dark” is a Hot Chip cover of Bruce Springsteeen’s seminal hit of the same name that features a sample of LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends.” This masterpiece builds and builds to a cacophony of sound that will make you want to cry out with joy. We typically unleash this anthem at the end of a great day. If you’ve had a great day, please queue this one up and enjoy!

Stay tuned for an update in March from our friends with Readings on Race, who are finalizing several 2019 events. 

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

Happy New Year from in situ studio! Check out what we’ve been up to below.

Merkel Cooper

We had our one-year walkthrough at the Merkel Cooper house in Troutman, NC late this summer, and followed that closely with a fall photoshoot. Highlights over the two visits were a housewarming party with the full design team, RC car racing, several visits to Randy’s BBQ, and the shoot itself with the incomparable Keith Isaacs. We can’t wait to share the final photos! In the meantime, enjoy a sneak peek and several action shots above. We miss our trips to Lake Norman,  but love seeing happy clients and how they adapt to their spaces. Special thanks again to Ray Kelly Custom Builders who did a fantastic job building the house!

Matt and Erin are co-teaching the city planning studio at NCSU this semester along side Ashley “Oz” Ozburn (design ecology) and Travis Klondike (coastal dynamics). The studio is based on the design prompt created for the CONNECTIONS 81.2 event spearheaded by Erin and Oz last spring in Raleigh. Though still early in the semester, it has been inspiring to see what teams of students envision for the hypothetical re-development of the land currently occupied by the Governor Morehead School and Central Prison – a critical site for connecting downtown, NCSU campus, and other parts of Raleigh to Dix Park. Stay tuned for more updates!

nc Unsung

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben will change the way you think when you take a walk in the woods, walk past a street tree, or consider trimming a branch in your yard. The book is about how trees communicate with one another, support each other and other species, and the fascinating ways they seem to think and feel their way through life. If you enjoy a balance of science and poetry, or if you just want to celebrate the fact that spring draws closer every day, this is the perfect read for you.

Please contact us if there is any way we can help you. 

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us

Thanks to everyone who made our 2018 spectacular! Our work is not possible without you. Here’s to 2019!

Best.

in situ studio

919 397 3949
www.insitustudio.us