2023 Best Small Practice Southeast
2023 NC Firm of the Year
What is REAL MATTER?
“We live and practice in North Carolina’s second largest city, Raleigh. We are familiar with the vernacular buildings of the American South that were built by the people that used them and imbued with the intelligence of necessity. Today, in stark contrast, cities are being built at a frenetic pace, lacking the sensibilities of our practical forebears, and giving little thought to the social impact of development.
More broadly, we work in a world that is lost between the promise of volumetric excess on the cheap and the image-drunk culture of social media. Here all things can be had with ease and with no regard for budget, climate, local constraints, social need, or the effort required to realize good work. In the face of this tide of development, we believe there can be a resistance that questions expediency, seeks deep connections to a place, addresses social problems, favors material quality, and provokes wonder.
Work often occurs in a built environment that is searching for an identity. We must sustain our naivete to imagine design responses that negotiate between abstract expectations and real conditions, and create projects that make place in a seemingly placeless environment, resisting the anonymity of fad. Finding ideas and details within each project that are appropriate here, as opposed to anywhere else, requires a patient search. This work should be modern to the extent that it is provisional, made of common materials, possessed by a clear attitude about place, and aspirational in addressing social need. It should be suited to its context, quiet, practical, and unusual.
There is much work to be done! A culture of difference, the resulting built environment, and the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to systemic problems we now face throughout our cities. An ever-increasing separation between the wealthy and the poor, the disenfranchisement of our BIPOC & LGBTQ+ citizens, and the felling of our climate are all at the forefront of social and environmental policy and are immediate concerns to our communities. How can architects be agents of change in a complex matrix of social and cultural constructs?
Architecture is ultimately about building - sometimes with limited resources, hopefully beautifully, but always with a dedication to finding real solutions for people, not paper - real matter.”
“We live and practice in North Carolina’s second largest city, Raleigh. We are familiar with the vernacular buildings of the American South that were built by the people that used them and imbued with the intelligence of necessity. Today, in stark contrast, cities are being built at a frenetic pace, lacking the sensibilities of our practical forebears, and giving little thought to the social impact of development.
More broadly, we work in a world that is lost between the promise of volumetric excess on the cheap and the image-drunk culture of social media. Here all things can be had with ease and with no regard for budget, climate, local constraints, social need, or the effort required to realize good work. In the face of this tide of development, we believe there can be a resistance that questions expediency, seeks deep connections to a place, addresses social problems, favors material quality, and provokes wonder.
Work often occurs in a built environment that is searching for an identity. We must sustain our naivete to imagine design responses that negotiate between abstract expectations and real conditions, and create projects that make place in a seemingly placeless environment, resisting the anonymity of fad. Finding ideas and details within each project that are appropriate here, as opposed to anywhere else, requires a patient search. This work should be modern to the extent that it is provisional, made of common materials, possessed by a clear attitude about place, and aspirational in addressing social need. It should be suited to its context, quiet, practical, and unusual.
There is much work to be done! A culture of difference, the resulting built environment, and the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to systemic problems we now face throughout our cities. An ever-increasing separation between the wealthy and the poor, the disenfranchisement of our BIPOC & LGBTQ+ citizens, and the felling of our climate are all at the forefront of social and environmental policy and are immediate concerns to our communities. How can architects be agents of change in a complex matrix of social and cultural constructs?
Architecture is ultimately about building - sometimes with limited resources, hopefully beautifully, but always with a dedication to finding real solutions for people, not paper - real matter.”
Am I eligible?
Suggested eligibility for this year’s workshop is the following:
Undergraduate level students at accredited architecture schools in the US, Canada, and Mexico who have completed their third year of education before the start of the workshop.
Graduate level students at accredited architecture schools in the US, Canada, and Mexico who have either completed 1 year of graduate training, or have a professional undergraduate degree in architecture before the start of the workshop.
Young Professionals who are in their first 5 years of practice, not yet licensed.
Where will the workshop take place?
The workshop will be held in downtown Raleigh, NC. Venue locations will be announced later this year. All workshop events will be in English.
What is the full workshop schedule? Will I be able to work another job this summer?
The workshop team has scheduled the workshop at the end of the summer, between the traditional summer and fall academic calendars, to allow for participant flexibility. The tentative schedule for the workshop in 2024 is as follows:
10 01 23 Inquiry + Sponsor Period Opens
12 15 23 Application Period Opens
03 17 24 Early Application Period Ends
05 12 24 Application Deadline
05 19 24 Acceptance Announcements Begin (There will be a rolling acceptance period beginning on 03 18 24)
06 02 24 Commitment Letters + Deposits Due
06 30 24 Tuition Due In-Full
07 28 24 First Day of Workshop
08 09 24 Last Day of Workshop
What will the weekly schedule for the workshop look like?
How much will the workshop cost?
Tuition for the two-week workshop will be dependent on the final number of participants but will not exceed $800 USD. Last year, final tuition through sponsorships was reduced to $600 USD. Tuition includes participation in the workshop, offsite building tours, and a minimum of (5) lectures from visiting architects and professionals. Early applicants will receive $100 additional discount from tuition.
We offer scholarships to exceptionally qualified candidates. Our intent is to defray as much cost as possible for all candidates who attend. A final not-to-exceed tuition will be communicated with acceptance letters.
Tuition does not cover travel expenses or room and board. However, we partner with local food, lodging, and transportation vendors to subsidize expenses. Room and Board expenses are estimated to total around $600 + food for the two-week workshop.
A $200 deposit will be required upon acceptance to reserve your place in the workshop. Tuition is due in full by tuition deadline via PayPal or Venmo.
What does the application look like?
Students will be required to provide biographical information, a resume, a sample portfolio, one reference, and a response to an essay prompt.
Applications will go live on 12 15 23.
How many people will be accepted?
Acceptance is expected to be very selective with a target of 25-30 workshop participants. Acceptance will be announced via email. There will be a rolling acceptance period beginning at the end of the Early Application period.
I have other commitments this summer. What will we be doing? Why should I come to Real Matter?
You will spend two weeks with a group of like-minded young designers in one of the fastest growing and most innovative urban centers in the American South.
Workshop work sessions will be led by academic practitioners at in situ studio and other local design practices. Lectures and panel discussions by accomplished architects and local thought leaders over the two weeks will spark your investigations and inspire the content and quality of your work. Tours of important local buildings will feed the reality of your projects.
The workshop will yield critical design solutions for social problems in the city. This work will be represented via numerous social media platforms choose and will be the subject of a public exhibit at the end of the workshop.
Participants will forge lasting relationships with talented peers from across North America, be introduced to and work alongside local design offices in the Raleigh region, and gain a foothold in one of the strongest design communities in the US south.
With a selective acceptance process, the workshop is seen as an accolade for aspiring young designers.
How can I help spread the word?
Help us spread the word by hanging the press poster in your local communities. Share the workshop on social media accounts using the tags @in_situ_studio and #realmatter. We appreciate your help!
I am interested in sponsoring. Who sponsored last year?
Co-Sponsor $7,500
Organizing Sponsor $5,000
Lecture Sponsor $2,500
Scholarship Sponsor $1,500
Workshop Friend $750
Please reach email us at workshop@insitustudio.us if you are interested in being a workshop sponsor and to receive our sponsorship fact sheet.
I have a question not listed here. Who can I speak to?
Please email us at workshop@insitustudio.us. We’d love to connect!