Say it ain't so Raleigh.....

Tuesday night I got the news... It's funny how the closing of a small upstairs restaurant can have such an effect on so many, but damn... it did. The Rockford was the scene for many of my most cherished memories over the past 15 years and it's hard to believe that it's really gone. It's the little things in life that truly make a difference and the Rockford was full of those. Whether it was the bartender who went out of her way to make a drink "right" for the pain-in-the-ass customer, the waitress who was seemingly always in a bad mood but yet somehow profoundly human, the "specials" menu dedicated to keeping music lovers entertained, or just the simple comfort of a meatloaf sandwich... The Rockford always just seemed right somehow and made me feel at home. I think an anonymous letter taped to the door sums it up best...

"Thanks for the good times, food, drinks, and friendship..."

Through the years we've lost our share of great places; the original Humble Pie, Vin & The Sting Ray to name a few. Hopefully the reopening of Kings will help bring us back to where we need to be. As things stand now though, Raleigh just got a lot less cool.

Vollis Simpson featured in the NY Times

Local Folk Art legend Vollis Simpson featured in the New York Times

Link

NCSU/UNC Team Finalists for Gerald D. Hines Student Competition

Last Week it was officially announced that a joint-team made up of NCSU Architecture/Landscape Architecture and UNC City and Regional Planning graduate students has been named one of four finalists in the Urban Land Institute's Gerald D. Hines Student Competition. This is the NCSU/UNC's first time entering and the fact that they have placed as a finalist is most certainly a very big deal. The 3 other finalist teams are from Harvard, UPENN, and the University of Maryland. Teams are now in the process of completing a second design problem which will ultimately decide the winner.

NCSU/UNC Team:

Maria Papiez, Master of Architecture

Daria Khramtsova, Master of City and Regional Planning

Rebecca Myers, Master of Landscape Architecture

Jeff Pleshek, Master of Architecture

Matt Tomasulo, Master of Landscape Architecture

LINK

Update regarding AIANC Center for Architecture and Design

Ever since Frank Harmon won the competition for the AIANC Center for Architecture and Design in January 2008, not much had been made public about how the project was progressing. Even some of our sources close to the project seemed skeptical that the project would be built soon. Given the current state of the field and economy in general, it would have been understandable if the AIA had decided to put the project on hold. It might not have sent a positive message to its members, but understandable nevertheless.

Fortunately for us, that's not the case. Two weeks ago, in the annual Harwell Hamilton Harris Lecture, Frank Harmon showed images of the project (located on the corner of Peace and Wilmington at the end of Raleigh's government mall) after several years of design development with a large committee of designers. He went on to describe his "healthy urbanism" project in careful detail, including the original design concept, developments since the competition and a fairly thorough discussion of the building's intended purpose and sustainable features. He announced furthermore, that construction by Clancy & Theys should begin this May and that the building should be completed within 10 months.

We here at Raleigh Art, Architecture and Urbanism are excited to hear that this project is on track to be built so soon. More information has been released: a fairly thorough project booklet on AIA NC's website including plans, sections, materials, sustainable systems, salient diagrams, and cost estimates, and more information from WUNC's the State of Things (follow the link to listen to the audio) last Friday. Frank, Along with Scott Cutler of Clancy & Theys joined Laura Leslie to talk about the project's status.

We applaud AIA NC for pushing this project forward despite tough economic times, setting an example of responsible design not only in the Triangle or the State, but nationally as well. According to the audio North Carolina AIA will be the first chapter to design and construct their own building. If that's true, (we haven't had the chance to verify this so don't hold us to it), what does that say about the AIA itself? How could such a large professional body, which specializes in designing buildings, not have ever designed their own headquarters? This project has the opportunity to not only be a model for sustainable design, but also a center for outreach. All signs seem to point to the fact it will be a place for people to visit, hold activities and meetings, and most of all to open minds about the impact design has on our day to day lives and how truly important good design can be for our future.

NCSU Graduate wins Thomas Jefferson Award

Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, is the Principal in Charge of Design and Co-Founder of Fentress Architects based in Denver, CO in 1980. He is also a North Carolina native and a graduate of NCSU's School of Architecture. Fentress continues to maintain ties with the COD by interviewing students each spring for potential jobs as well as lecturing frequently..

Image www.otto-otto.com

Fentress is well known for some of his more iconic designs including the Denver International Airport and the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA. His firm has also remained active locally by acting as lead designers on two large projects in the triangle: RDU Terminal 2 and Nature Research Center in Downtown Raleigh.

Fentress was recently recognized by the American Institute of Architects with the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award. This award has only been awarded in the private sector architect category 8 times in 19 years according to the Denver Post.

Congratulations to Mr. Fentress for winning this high honor in recognition of your hard work.

Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art

While I was in Askew-Taylor today, I happened to see a flyer for the Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art or RICA. Having never heard anything about it before I was intrigued enough to follow the link and learn more. RICA seems to be offering classes for students of all skill levels and interests as taught by a variety of local artists including such notables as Lope Max Diaz and Shaun Richards. The grand opening is listed as January 18th of this year, so it apparently just opened. Hopefully they'll be able to fill classes in a sluggish economy, and continue developing the art education opportunities in Raleigh.

The website provided all the basic information, but does anyone out there know more about RICA, and how it came into being, etc.?

Eduardo Catalano, the ending of an era...

Two days ago (Jan 28) legendary architect and designer Eduardo Catalano passed away at the age of 92. Although I never knew the man, he certainly had a profound impact on my design sensibilities, my love of architecture, and thus both my education and career path. Surely there are many of us out there who can say the same. For us, and for all those affiliated with the local design community, this is not only a very sad day, but the end of an era.

As a kid, growing up in the area, I somehow stumbled upon the wreckage of the original Raleigh House, I think I was about 16 at the time. I remember standing in the woods with my high school girlfriend, the fragments of the house laid out before us, almost as if we had stumbled across some great ancient ruin... Vividly, I remember lighting up a cigarette and knowing my life would never be the same, as I had just been unwittingly ushered into the world of architecture. The years would pass by and subsequent visits would occur, although probably not quite as many as I would have liked. By the end it seemed like every visit would be the last, almost as if I was visiting someone who was terminally ill, and that in itself was more than a little unsettling. Ultimately the Raleigh House's fate was sealed, in that incarnation at least, and it was eventually leveled. By the end, we'd all come to expect it's inevitable demolition, some of us even came to accept it, but it never sat right with me that such an iconic structure would have ever been put in such a position in the first place.

There have been multiple attempts to revitalize the project in various locations around Raleigh but unfortunately none have come to fruition. The latest attempt, as reported here at Raleigh AAU, was to be constructed in the area of Dorthea Dix under the direction of the NCSU College of Design, in conjunction with Triangle Modernist Houses. However, it's become increasingly unclear as to the project's current status, considering the circumstances.

I am hopeful, although not overly confident, that we've learned our lesson considering our city's significant structures. Thankfully, due to various advocacy groups, there now seems to be a larger collective awareness about these issues, but only time will tell.

To read more on Edwardo Catalano please see his page on Triangle Modernist Houses

To learn more on the latest rebuilding efforts please see our earlier article (Aug 2009) Catalano House to be Rebuilt