January 2020

Happy New Year from in situ studio! Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, and we sincerely hope Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow. It’s been too warm for our tastes this winter!

Check out what we’ve been up to so far this year: 

The spring semester is underway at the NCSU College of Design, which means that Brittany and Natalie are in their FINAL semester of architecture school! Their project is a maker space and gallery located on the Duke University Campus, expanding the programming of the Pratt School of Engineering. Vince is teaching first year architecture students with Sara Queen, Ellen Weinstein, and Joe Burkett. Jake is teaching second year students in a site and environment studio, ARC 202, with Don Kranbuehl. Matt is teaching third year students in the ARC 302 technology studio. Stay tuned for updates on excellent student work this semester on our Instagram!

 

As the new year gains momentum we have four special houses under construction! In the beginning stages is the Lewis House in Johnston County, a home for a young family nestled at the edge of a forest. The three other houses have all reached the rough-in stage at the same time, keeping us running from site to site! The Taylor Property is a renovation to a Latimer and Matsumoto mid-century house in Chapel Hill. Cranefly is new construction that perches on the banks of New Hope Creek and the edge of Duke Forest. House BC is our newest “machine in the garden” – sited in a post-WWII neighborhood in East Raleigh. We couldn’t do what we do without amazing contractors and subs – special thanks to Bob Aiello, Durham Potter, Xylem Inc., BuildSense, Leo Gaev Metalworks, Kemp Harris, Dopko Cabinetry, and Arrowhead! We can’t wait to see finishes start in the coming weeks at all four sites!

We are in various stages of design for three park projects across the Triangle. Our work on the Eno River State Park Visitor Center is about to enter the construction documentation phase. The new visitor center will be nestled in the forest near the top of a hill, overlooking the park’s well-known pedestrian suspension bridge. We’ve also just started design work on a large recreation shelter in North Raleigh at Baileywick Park. This 32,000 SF structure will accommodate basketball, pickleball, and myriad other community events. Third, we moving into schematic design for a visitor center and six other structures at a new Wake County Park, Beech Bluff, located near Fuquay-Varina. We’ll be excited to share progress on these projects, along with updates on our two museum projects at the NCMA and MoLaS, in the coming months!

Our team is currently completing several feasibility studies for important cultural resources in Raleigh. We recently completed a study for the Sutton Lobby and Theatre Renovation at Raleigh Little Theatre (pictured above). Our proposal focuses on the history of the building, updating finishes and lighting, way-finding, state-of-the-art theater lighting and sound technology, designed by TCC, and improved accessibility. We have also been helping the City of Raleigh and the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy imagine the potential reuse of several existing structures in Dorothea Dix Park. This work focuses on the rehabilitation and potential reuse of four historic houses in the park and developing decision criteria that will guide viable future uses for other structures. And, finally, we have been working with Wake County PROS to assess the feasibility of reusing the main house at Kellam-Wyatt Farm as it becomes a new Wake County Park. We love working on projects at the feasibility stage to help clients establish a vision for how architecture can support their mission!

Our book of the month is el croquis 202, featuring Austrian architect Bernardo Bader. Bader practices in the Voralberg region of Austria, known for its small towns and picturesque landscapes, but also the city of Bregenz (notable to architecture nerds as the home of Zumthor’s Kunsthaus Bregenz). The firm’s work fights back against criticism of Frampton’s theory of critical regionalism, arguing that any important work harmonizes with people and place. Bader says it this way, “We look at things that are familiar and try to understand what is behind them. We work with the method of finding things rather than reinventing them. No, we’re not afraid of the familiar.” We recommend checking out the Islamic Cemetery in Altach, the Alpine Sports Center in Schruns, or Salgenreute Chapel in Krumbach. Bader has quickly become an office hero. Get your copy here!