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FRANK CORNELIUS HARMON, FAIA (1941-)

Born in Georgia and raised in Greensboro NC, Frank Harmon attended the NCSU School of Design from 1959 to 1961. He interned with Edward Loewenstein from 1963-1964 and then moved to London to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, graduating in 1967. Harmon started to practice architecture in 1968 with McMinn, Norfleet & Wicker of Greensboro; moved to New York to work with Richard Meier for three years; was a principal in the firm of Harmon & Simeloff RIBA in London until 1979; then started his own firm in Raleigh in 1981. Harmon taught at Auburn briefly and at the NCSU School of Design for 20+ years as a Professor of Practice. He was very close to Harwell Hamilton Harris and was executor of his estate. See Harmon's remembrances of Harris here.

NCModernistHarmon has won dozens of AIA Design Awards, plus the Henry Kamphoefner Prize, the AIANC Tower Award, the AIANC F. Carter Williams Gold Medal, the COTE Award, the AIANC Brick Honor award, and honors from the NC State Design Foundation. He was on the cover of Residential Architect in May 2002.

In early 2008, he won a national design competition for the AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design in downtown Raleigh completed in 2011, left. Harmon's office was located in that building and his 2015 retirement party there was attended by hundreds of friends, colleagues, and fans.

2016 NCSU Lecture
2015 Interview on The Business of Architecture
2015 AIA "I Look Up" Video
2012 VMZINC Interview
2012 WUNC Radio: Harmon and Steve Schuster discuss the new AIANC Center for Architecture and Design in Raleigh
2011 Harmon and Lewis Clarke speak on mid-century design
2011 Harmon and AIANC Executive Director David Crawford discuss the new AIANC Center for Architecture and Design in Raleigh
2010 Harmon gives the Harwell Hamilton Harris lecture at NCSU's College of Design
Around 2010 WUNC Radio, The State of Things: Harmon and Scott Cutler discuss the new AIANC Center for Architecture and Design in Raleigh
2007 Slow Home interview Part 1 and Part 2
2005 Bob Langford and Harmon talk about Matthew Nowicki and Dorton Arena
2005 WUNC Radio, The State of Things: Harmon discusses his practice and design philosophy


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1989 - The Stephen A. Wainwright Beach House, 8414 Sound Drive, Emerald Isle NC. Built by Jerry Lawrence of Beaufort NC. Structural Engineer, T. C. Howard of Raleigh. Mechanical Engineer, Ernest Myatt of Greensboro. Deeded in 2006 to daughter Jennifer Wainwright. Moved to a new site around 2006. Bottom two photos by Gordon Schenck Jr.


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Around 1989 - The Stephen A. Wainwright Artist Studio, 3812 Dover Road, Durham NC. Sold in 2015 to Stacey E. and John G. Burkert.


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1989 - The William B. Brown Renovation, 3300 Morningside Drive, Raleigh NC. Built in 1978 as a rather plain contemporary spec house by Westminster Homes of Cary. Harmon did an extensive renovation and addition. Sold in 2000 to Rachel Clarke and Mark Cullifer. Sold in 2007 to Christopher and Sybille Ward.


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1994 - The Frank and Judy King Harmon House, 114 Brooks Avenue, Raleigh NC. 1800sf. Built by Greg Paul. Structural engineer was T. C. Howard; Mechanical Engineer, Ernest Myatt of Greensboro. As of 2021 still owned by the Harmons.


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1995 - The Rosa V. Patton and Ronny B. Rozzelle House, aka Artist's Studio and Apartment, 1531 Julia Ann Lane, Graham NC. Won an AIANC Award in 1997. The structural engineer was T. C. Howard of Raleigh. Featured in Architectural Record Houses of 1998. Photos by Bryan Hoffman.


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1995 - The James (Jimmy) and Betty Devane House, 1119 Offshore Drive, Fayetteville NC. On Branson Lake. Sold in 2013 to William John Gillis.


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Around 1996 - The Clark and Bonnie Cramer Residence Addition, 6008 Canadero Drive, Raleigh NC. Original house designed by Clark Cramer. Vinny Petrarca was the project architect for the addition. 2014 landscape design by Sharon Glazener. 2014 garage addition by Vinny Petrarca. Photo by Leilani Carter.


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1996 - The Gilbert Renovation, Country Club Hills, Raleigh NC. Project architect, Charles Holden.


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Around 1996 - The (Evelyn) Stern Kitchen Renovation, Chapel Hill NC. Project architect, Heather Washburn.


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1997 - The Bender-Lopez Residence. Project architect, Charles Holden. Unbuilt.


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1997 - The Mark Spano-Walters Residence. Project architect, Charles Holden. Unbuilt.


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1998 - The Gigi and Warren Edwards Residence, 828 Runnymede Road, Raleigh NC. 2300 square feet. Top two photos by James West. As of 2014 still owned by the Edwards.


1998 - The Jerry and Anne Ocorr House, 114 Johnson Point Road, New Bern NC. Commissioned in 1997. Judy Harmon did the landscape design. Project architect, Heather Washburn.


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1999 - The Frank D. Thompson House, 811 Bryan Street, Raleigh NC. Built on the site of a previous house, bottom photo above. Harmon and Thompson had a disagreement midway through and the design was completed by architect Roger Cannon. Featured in Walter Magazine in 2015. With Jessica Johnson Moore, Thompson renovated the 1951 house (at 817 Bryan) next to this house. Sold in 2017 to Violetta and Helmut Zodl. Sold in 2020 to Jennifer and Eric Gregg.


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1999 - The James Franklin Taylor and Janice Taylor House, aka the Taylor-Hocking House, Scotland Cay, Bahamas. 3000 sf on 1/2 acre. Cost $100 per sf. Harmon came up with the idea of an inverted roof that would function like an upside-down umbrella, directing rain through a central spout that runs down the center of the house and into two 8,000-gallon cisterns on the ground floor. The roof's upside-down pyramid form also helps cool the home naturally: Its shape forces the air beneath it to flow more quickly than that above it. To avoid the 50 percent tax the Bahamas imposes on imported materials, the 10-person building crew obtained as much as it could from local sources. Vinny Petrarca and Quan Bahn were the project architects, with Petrarca spending several months onsite during construction. The builder was Ivar Unhjem Construction, Marsh Harbor, Abaco, Bahamas. Middle two photos by James West. Won a 2002 Residential Magazine Design Award. Nearly destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, bottom photo.


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2000 - The Rich and Amy Podurgal Renovation and Addition, 2700 Webb Street, Raleigh NC. 4573sf. Original house, bottom photo. Sold in 2023 to Matthew and Stephanie Patrick.


2000 - The Ray and Susan Goodman Renovation, 3109 Sunset Drive, Morehead City NC. Original house built in 1950. Sold in 2019 to Blair and Clay Manley.


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2001 - The Hoivik Addition, Raleigh NC. Project architect, Charles Holden. Unbuilt.


2001 - The Leonard V. and Johanna Huber Residence, 417 CBH Lodge Road, Washington NC. Project architect, Charles Holden. Intern, Aaron Brumo. Deeded to Johanna Huber.


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2002 - The McCowan Beach House, Bald Head Island NC. Project architect, Charles Holden. Unbuilt.


2002 - The Tom Bullington House, 2117 Waterwheel Road, Hurdle Mills NC. Commissioned in 2001. Project architect, Charles Holden. Later, Charles Holden independently designed the studio building, top photo. Sold in 2022 to Renee B. and Aaron M. Thomas.


2003 - The Jack C. and Nancy W. Turner House, 124 Lake Pointe Drive, Yanceyville NC. Commissioned 2001. Project architect, Charles Holden. Sold in 2018 to Nancy W. Turner.


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2004 - The Lynda Strickland and Marty Ferris Residence, aka the Strickland-Ferris House, 4221 Laurel Ridge Drive, Raleigh NC. Project architect, Charles Holden. The land was bought from the James Franklin Taylor family in 2003. The house has glass that is 27 feet tall at its highest point. Sold in 2019 to John C. Griffin III. Interior photography by Jeffrey Jacobs, exterior by Timothy Hursley. Sold in 2023 to Allison Norah McCoy.


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2004 - The Ruth Guthrie House, 146 Lochwood West Drive, Cary NC. Photo by Carol Beaver.


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2004 - The Elisabeth Lewis Corley and Joseph Megel House, aka Corley-Megel House, 181 Manco Dairy Road, Pittsboro NC. Erin Sterling Lewis and Charles Holden were the project architects. Built by Frank Cole of Carrboro.


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2005 - The Maurer Beach House. Project architect, Charles Holden. Unbuilt.


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2005 - The Joseph Harmon Residence, aka the Low Country Residence, 638 Rue De Muckle, Mount Pleasant SC. 1.5 acres. 2500 square feet. Won a National AIA award in 2009. 4SE was the structural engineer. Orbit Engineering was the mechanical engineer. Landscape design by Judy Harmon. Built by Design Build Corporation. Sculptor Christian Karkow did the galvanized steel screens. Top two photos by Richard Leo Johnson; bottom five photos by Beth Broome.


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2005 - The Barringer Guest House, Chatham County NC. With growing families of their own, the children of the property's owner built a guest house on their mother's farm to stay during holidays and other visits.


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2006 - The Pom and Tracy Smith House, 3125 Darien Drive, Raleigh NC. Erin Sterling Lewis was the project architect. Built on the site of an old ranch, bottom photo. For sale in 2019.


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2007 - The Duke Smart Home, aka the Home Depot Smart Home, 1402 Faber Street, Durham NC. Commissioned 2004. Harmon was the designer and architect of record. 6000sf. The managing architect was SmithGroup who also did construction administration. Built by Bovis Lend Lease. This residence hall and engineering learning laboratory is a testing ground for smart and sustainable technologies. The house advances product prototyping, marketability, and sustainability.


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2007 - The Lost Rock House, Benton County AR. Part of a series of houses and public buildings to be built as an ecomodern development. Commissioned in 2006. Matt Griffith was the project architect. Marlon Blackwell and Coleman Coker were also involved. Unbuilt.


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2010 - The Coates Residence, aka the Winterview Residence, Hendersonville NC. Matt Griffith was the project architect. Unbuilt.


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2013 - The David and Victoria Jarrett Residence, 236 Markham Plantation, Apex NC. Commissioned 2008. Located in Chatham County. 16 acres.


2014 - The Joseph Huberman-Ruth Bromer Residence, aka Mountain Retreat, Gray Owl Road, Asheboro NC. Built by Szostak Construction.


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2014 - The Shibata House, 4911 Busbee Road, Seagrove NC.


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2014 - The Sabrina Terry and Jon Lamb House, aka Seven Sisters, St. Helena Island, Frogmore SC. 50 percent of this 1600-square-foot Modernist house is screened porches. Project architect, Jacob Burke. The land in a floodplain so living quarters are 14 feet above sea level. Built by Matt Phifer of Phifer Contracting Services and the owners. Won a 2016 AIA Triangle design award.


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2016 - The Sepideh Saidi House, 829 Bryan Street, Raleigh NC. Project architect, Susie Cash. Built by Kemp Harris. Interior design by Kay Jordan. Top photo by Keith Isaacs. Former house on that site, bottom photo.


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2016 - The Jonathan and Gayle Schaeffer House, 2707 Barmettler Street, Raleigh NC. Project architect, Susie Cash. Cabinetry by Bo Taylor. Built by Tom Brown. Top photo by Keith Isaacs. Former house on that site, bottom photo.


2017 - The Anita and Anthony (Tony) Avent House, 9205 Sauls Road, Raleigh NC. They own a lush botanical garden next door.


Sources include: The Independent; Frank Harmon; Erin Sterling Lewis; Matt Griffith; AIANC; Residential Architect Online; Preservation North Carolina; Metro Magazine; Kim Weiss.