March 2017

Greetings from in situ studio! We had a great month, with site visits to the Chesapeake Bay, vacations on the west coast, a spring snow day, and a visit from a former in situ-ite, Jeremy!

 

 

Matt and his family moved back into their house this month after a six-month renovation! The house, which is located in the Longview Gardens National Historic District, was originally designed by A. Lewis Polier between 1954-1956 as his personal family home. The exterior closely resembles some of the later work of Harwell Hamilton Harris, and the 2,200 SF interior is efficiently planned to now accommodate four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The renovation focused on new bathroom and bedroom spaces, a new kitchen, revamped systems, and updated finishes. Important elements like the south-facing screened porch, floating stair, and interior planter remain. Matt, Ashley, and their three kids are thrilled to be back home in the woods of East Raleigh!

 

This month, one of our favorite firms, RCR Arquitectes was named as the 2017 laureate of the Pritzker Prize  architecture’s most prestigious award.  In their honor, we are revisiting El Croquis Edition 162, RCR Arquitectes for our Book of the Month.  Among the qualities that we admire in their work is the intense responsiveness to the site, something we strive to do in every project.  The book highlights almost twenty of their projects, ranging from houses, to museums, to transit stations. It includes process models, sketches, and diagrams that suggest the importance of context to their work.  Listen to them explain a bit about their process and what influences their work here.

 

This March’s song of the month is “Landslide” by Robyn Sherwell – an up and coming artist from the island of Guernsey. Her self-titled debut album features a stilled version of Fleetwood Mac’s classic song, “Landslide.” The stripped down electronic instrumentals highlight Sherwell’s soulful voice and passionate delivery. Turn it up and sink into a bed of tissues, call all of your exes and polish off a tub or two of Ben and Jerry’s.