Wednesday, December 8, 2010
On a personal note...
Link
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Moore Square Meeting THIS THURSDAY
Moore Square Meeting THIS THURSDAY. Whether you like the scheme or not it's important to attend the meeting, especially if you live downtown. They need your input. See below.
Public Meeting #1 will be held on Thursday,
September 9, 2010 at Cobblestone Hall in historic City Market (across
the street from Moore Square). There are two opportunities to participate.
Session 1: 1pm-4pmSession 2: 7pm-10pm
Thursday, September 2, 2010
N & O Home of the Month
Bridge House
Monday, August 30, 2010
Two Days Left to Vote for Local Grad Student in the Build a Better Burb Competition
Matt Tomasulo, a Planning/Landscape Architecture dual degree candidate, is one of twenty three finalists for his proposal "B.U.R.P. the Burb: Build Urban Relationships for People" in the Long Island Index organized Build a Better Burb Ideas Competition on Long Island. The competition states "The time for thinking cautiously is over. New visions are needed for the next generation of suburban centers." You can check out the other twenty two finalists in the site's gallery or jump straight to Matt's proposal here. Voting ends Aug. 31st.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
NC State & AIA Triangle Fall Lecture Series
Friday, August 6, 2010
Syme Hall Rain Garden ribbon cutting
Monday, August 2, 2010
Raleigh's Foundation featured in this month's issue of Garden & Gun magazine.
The Secret South
All Southerners have their secrets—whether it’s a favorite BBQ joint or empty stretch of beach. Thankfully, when we asked for yours, you told us. We took your suggestions, vetted them with locals, tested some ourselves, and developed our guide to some of the South’s best-kept secrets
FoundationRaleigh, NC
Raleigh’s Foundation, slightly hidden below ground in the capital’s downtown (look for a neon sign at ankle level), is nearly all native: beers from North Carolina, American wines (with seven hailing—perhaps bravely—from the East Coast), and a stellar bourbon collection. Foundation’s cocktail menu changes seasonally, employing house-made sodas, including Foundation’s own cola and tonic water. (foundationnc.com)
The Secret South
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Buckminster Fuller Challenge
"Each year a distinguished jury will award a $100,000 prize to support the development and implementation of a strategy that has significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems"
The deadline for entries is 5pm (Eastern Standard Time) on MONDAY OCTOBER 4, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Meet George Smart (the man behind Triangle Modernist Houses)
“I’m trying to create as much passion (the word covet was actually used but it doesn’t sound right in print) for these architectural gems as possible…” says George Smart, referring to one of the ways he is protecting the Triangle’s stock of modernist housing ( 3rd largest in the nation) by getting people excited about the houses so that when they list for sale or rent, they will be snapped up instantly.
Meet George Smart – a Raleigh native and the son of an architect. George had zero interest in architecture until 3-4 years ago, but now he sits in the living room of a modern home (and world headquarters of Triangle Modernist Houses) in Durham County (he says he survived the purging of Raleigh natives in the 80’s by escaping over the border to Durham County). Recently completed , his new house was designed and built by Tonic Design and Tonic Construction.
The same George Smart who decided to pursue business as a profession rather than architecture, after he got ammonia poisoning in the 70’s working for his Father’s architecture office in the summer. He simply didn’t find architecture fun – so he pursued business by studying at UNC, NC State and Duke for an MBA, focusing on services marketing rather than the more traditional product marketing. The same George Smart who in 2007 established Triangle Modernist Houses, “A 501C3 nonprofit documenting, preserving and promoting residential modernist architecture” in the Triangle, which now serves as an archive of over 1,000 modernist houses in North Carolina. The same George Smart who currently works as a business and executive coach, helping people and businesses set goals to,” to get out of the way of their business” and let them grow.
His life is an eclectic mix of architecture and business, and occasionally the two converge – with a few of his clients being architects. He says that through candid, sometimes uncomfortable conversations with business owners, he can help them overcome crucial flaws, personal weaknesses and create successful businesses.
Over the past 3-4 years George has spent thousands of hours devoted to TMH; some days its 2-3 hours a day or just on weekends, but on tour weeks it can be nearly full time. With all this personal time invested in a labor of love, George admits he does have some favorites. Among those both newly constructed and destroyed and in no particular order: the Catalano House by Eduardo Catalano; Cassilhaus by Ellen Cassilly, Chiles House by Tonic Design/Vinny Petrarca, The Koch House by Arthur Cogswell, The Thompson Residence by David Davenport, and the John and Helen Latimer Residence by John Latimer. All of these can (of course) be found on Triangle Modernist Houses.com.
From Weekend Pastime to Burgeoning Organization - Finding an Untapped Market and the Formation of TMH
So how exactly did George go from his self-described “zero” interest in architecture to spending thousands of hours volunteering (with his own organization) to protect and encourage the stock of modern housing in the Triangle? Paraphrasing his version of it, he was minding his own business late one night on the internet (don’t so many great stories start this way?) while considering one day building his own house, possibly modern. He typed in Raleigh modern houses into Google, and to his surprise he found only the Matsumoto house, Milton Small Home and Office, and a few small tours taking place around the Triangle. He said at this moment he could hear his Dad’s voice in his head talking about all of his architect friends’ houses so he thought he would dig a little deeper. George created a list of about 20 modern houses in the area and compiled them into a word document, with no real intention as to where it would lead, just purely out of personal interest.
Next he began driving around neighborhoods on weekends and checking out houses. He took his list to architects and they told him it was a good start, and each offered him several more to add to the list. Once he got the list to about 60 houses people began to encourage him to build a website, and that’s what he did in the fall of 2007 – Triangle Modernist Houses. As the list began to grow, as well as outside interest, George realized an untapped market of modern architecture enthusiasm existed in the triangle.
As the meteoric rise of TMH continued, he planned his first tour. By the middle of 2008 George had begun to meet not only others interested in modern architecture, but the homeowners of many of the properties. They decided to test out a tour of a few homes, but George doesn’t do anything without careful preparation. Research being such a big part of his professional life, he wanted to find out how other tours were faring (both locally and nationally), as well as any issues they were running into. The result of his research was the TMH tour format: visitors park at a central location and ride buses to avoid any ill-will from neighbors forced to endure overcrowding caused by hundreds of cars, allowing for multiple-house tours, and the tours are well-publicized events. Visitors get a very unique opportunity and a great value – all a direct result of George’s efforts. Fringe benefits also include riding around on buses with other individuals interested in architecture.
The first tour was a huge hit - 200 people showed up and George was surprised at the turnout. The tour was of three houses on Rugby Road in Durham in May of 2008. From these somewhat humble beginnings, great things have blossomed. By this fall TMH will have sponsored 15 tours, totaling 3000-4000 people, including three out-of-state tours: A New York tour with 24 attendees, a Washington DC tour where 15 people went along, and this September a Fallingwater/Pittsburgh tour with a max of 28 available seats (at the time of the interview half the seats had sold).
These out of state trips are a special treat for those who travel along. George calls them his paratroopers . They get up very early one morning, see as much as modern architecture as is humanly possible in one day and catch the last flight out. This way expenses are able to stay relatively low, with the maximum bang for the buck for the attendees. George works very hard on these trips to make them special for those who make the trip. Take the NY trip for example: the day began by landing at JFK and heading over to the closed TWA Terminal designed by Eero Saarinen, for a personal tour by an architect involved in the renovations, followed by an open house of the Smith Residence in Connecticut by Richard Meier. Thereafter the group headed over to Long Island to see Richard Meiers’s Model Museum. The day ended at the Museum of Modern Art for a Bauhaus exhibit. George took care of all the details, arranged for the bus travel – all the attendees had to do is enjoy the ride.
The other tours were just as special. The DC trip included, among other stops, a visit to the last house Richard Neutra designed in America (the Brown House), and a visit to the Hirshhorn Museum designed by Gordon Bunshaft. In many cases, the original homeowners still live in houses TMH tours, opening their homes to these visitors as a special exception.
George said what happened to the Catalano house (it was destroyed in 2001) is what ignited his passion – he knew he needed to become involved to never let that type of tragedy occur again. By creating as much interest as possible, he can assist in the efforts to keep vacancy from ever occurring (this is just one of the ways, more will be written about TMH’s preservation efforts in part 2 of this article). TMH is doing a great job so far. He frequently hears from people who have taken pages from his website and drive around past the various houses. He loves to hear stories from fans of the website, and is happy to hear they use the site to tour or study.
According to George there is no typical demographic for modern enthusiasts – only 10-15% are architects, the others have a variety of reasons for wanting to visit houses. For some it’s architectural design, for others it’s interiors and furniture, and some just like the hardware. Levels of interest range from people who have designed many houses, to others who live in modern houses (or want to in the future and are thus potential clients for future purchase/renting) and some just have a few coffee table books. Whatever the level of interest and involvement, there is a place for everyone at the TMH tours.
George was so generous with his time, we got plenty of material to write about TMH. This, along with the fact that no one would read a 30 minute article in one sitting (especially on the internet) caused us to divide the article in two sections. The next section will discuss the future of TMH and a tour through George’s newly-finished modern house in Durham County by Tonic Design.
Friday, July 9, 2010
North Carolina Museum of Art featured in Architectural Record
Friday, June 25, 2010
Marvin Malecha Interview on Arch Daily (2009)
AD Interviews: Marvin Malecha from ArchDaily on Vimeo.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Donations Needed for Wake County Recycling Center Convenience Huts
NCSU College Of Design- Wake County Partnership
Convenience Center Huts (CCH) Design-Build
Three (3) CCH for Wake County Recycling Centers
· Limit the weight of the structure to 3,000 pounds
· Collect, store, and dispense gravity fed and dispensed rainwater for irrigation
· Use materials, form, and systems to communicate positive information about recycling, reuse, clean energy generation, water conservation, and energy conservation to center users
· Use a minimum of 50% (by weight) recycled or reused materials
· Meet all Commercial Building Codes/ ADA Universal Design parameters
Designs:
Site 1: 10505 Old Stage Road
Site 8:
Site 9: 3401 New Hill Holleman
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Urban Oasis - Raleigh Rose Garden
The conflation between the two entities – park and theatre – go together like a horse and carriage. The unassumingly appropriate theatre bounds the park and holds the street wall on the East end of the park. (If the garden is viewed from the West stair entry from
Friday, June 4, 2010
AIA Triangle Design Award Traveling Exhibit
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Triangle Firm Increases National Recognition
From Frank Harmon Architect PA facebook page:
May 12, 2010 (RALEIGH, NC) – Frank Harmon Architect PA, a multi-award-winning firm based in Raleigh, NC and recognized nationally as a leader in innovative, modern, and regionally inspired “green” architecture, has placed 13th on Architect magazine’s 2010 list of the top firms in the nation, moving up from the 26th spot the firm held last year.
Frank Harmon Architect PA, founded by principal Frank Harmon, FAIA, in 1985, is the only firm in North Carolina to make the “Architect 50” this year. The Freelon Group in Durham placed 60th and Little in Charlotte placed 71st.
Unlike many other “top firms” lists, the “Architect 50” emphasizes ecological commitment and design quality as much as profitability as the editors determine the country’s very best firms. In fact, many firms ranking far lower than Harmon’s report revenues in the multiple millions.
Senior editor Amanda Kolson Hurley also notes, “Some commercially focused firms that were prominent last year have dropped off the list; conversely, this year’s biggest upward movers tend to be those with a bedrock of public-sector and infrastructural projects.”
Harmon’s firm has been working on and completing several “green” public-sector projects since the 2009 Architect 50, most of modest size and budget. They include Visitors Education Centers at Walnut Creek Urban Wetlands Park in Raleigh, the North Carolina Botanical Garden at UNC-Chapel Hill, Merchants Millpond State Park (recently featured in Architect magazine), and the N.C. Zoological Park (Children’s Nature Zoo). The firm is also working on oyster hatchery research facilities at UNC-Wilmington and in Northern Neck, Virginia, as well as a new Crafts Campus at UNC-Asheville.
Each of these projects embraces the principles of sustainability, both low-tech and high-tech, within regionally appropriate, modern designs. And each underscores the enjoyable aspects of energy conservation, such as natural light and ventilation; simple, familiar materials; and the use of deep porches for circulation and access to the outdoors.
In an introduction for Harmon at a North Carolina State University College of Design lecture, architecture Professor Paul Tesar stated:
“[Frank Harmon’s] buildings range from houses in the Bahamas to AIA Headquarters in Raleigh, from Eco-Stations to Parish Houses, from Iron Studios to Pottery Centers, and from Dog Boxes to Oyster Hatcheries – commissions, in other words, that most of us only can envy him for, because they somehow seem a little more inspiring than, say, 40,000 square feet of speculative office space next to a K-Mart parking lot.”
Of the higher ranking in this year’s “Architect 50,” Harmon said, “The usual rating of firms by gross billing, number of employees, etc., does not include our firm. But when we are rated on design recognition for our clients, sustainability, and financial performance, our firm shows up well.”
To see the entire 2010 Architect 50 list, go to www.architectmagazine.com.
For more information on Frank Harmon Architect PA, visit www.frankharmon.com.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
CAM Groundbreaking Event at 5:00 p.m. TONIGHT (MAY 11)
May 5, 2010
CAM ANNOUNCES GROUNDBREAKING AND MUSEUM COMPLETION PLANS
Public invited to May 11, 2010, Groundbreaking Event at 5:00 p.m.
Raleigh, NC - Raleigh’s Contemporary Art Museum (“CAM”) will officially break ground at its future home, 409 W. Martin Street, on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, at 5:00 p.m. The renovated 20,000 sq. ft. historic warehouse-turned-museum will serve as the only non-collecting museum of contemporary art + design in North Carolina.
Jay Gates, CAM Interim Director, City of Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker and Dean Marvin Malecha, NC State College of Design, will lead the ceremony. Predicts Mayor Meeker: “The opening of the Contemporary Art Museum will be key to the revitalization of Raleigh’s Warehouse District. Its location near the City’s Convention Center and planned Union Station Transit Center, in addition to its innovative art and design exhibitions, will make the new museum an important cultural destination for our region.”
The movement of the project from concept to reality has been made possible by many individuals, foundations and a special initiative launched last year to obtain valuable Historic and New Market Tax Credits for the museum’s redevelopment. The tax credit programs will provide a direct subsidy of more than $2 million for CAM, or about one half of the cost of the museum’s redevelopment.
The new museum will house three galleries as well as dedicated educational spaces. Additionally, it will host changing exhibitions and the critically acclaimed Design Camp for high school students, while expanding the existing, community-wide adult and youth art and design programming.
News Facts:
• The Contemporary Art Museum was established in 1983 in Raleigh as the City Gallery of Contemporary Art.
• In 2006, the museum merged with the NC State University College of Design, becoming an extension of the College’s “Art and Design in the Community” Initiative. The merger expands the College’s K-12 outreach and introduces students and the larger community to a broad range of new creative and learning opportunities.
• CAM is a non-collecting museum of contemporary art and design. Its exhibitions reflect the leading edge of visual arts and design practice, while its educational programs offer a unique perspective on the role of contemporary art and design in our everyday lives.
• The museum is eligible for Historic and New Market tax credits based on the historic nature of the warehouse building being rebuilt and on the demographics of the census tract in Raleigh where CAM is located. The same programs have been used in North Carolina recently at the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro and at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.
• The architectural team of Clearscapes and Pugh + Scarpa has overseen the design of the new museum. Raleigh-based Clearscapes is well known for its local projects, including the historically sensitive Exploris Museum, the new Raleigh Convention Center, and the mixed-used revitalization of Pine State Creamery. The 2010 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Firm Award winner, Pugh + Scarpa has offices in Santa Monica, CA, and Charlotte, NC.
• For more information, please visit the CAM Website: http://www.cam.ncsu.edu
Saturday, April 10, 2010
NCSU/UNC students win Urban Land Institute competition
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
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.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
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
Monday, March 1, 2010
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.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
NCSU Graduate wins Thomas Jefferson Award
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Eduardo Catalano, the ending 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
Friday, January 29, 2010
Add one more to the lecture series
Saturday, January 23, 2010
NCSU Landscape Architecture Lecture Series
All lectures are free and open to the public. They are held Monday nights
at 7 pm in Burns Auditorium.
February 1st: Linda Jewell, Professor and Head of Landscape Architecture,
UC Berkeley
"Memorable Landscapes"
February 22nd: Juanite Shear-Swin, Triangle Transit,
"The Triangle Transit Project"
March 1st: Art Rice, NCSU Professor of Landscape Architecture/
Director of the PhD in Design Program/Associate Dean for Graduate
Studies Research and Extension
"Moskovskaya Straight Up: Design as the Lubricant for Understanding,
Inspiration, and Transformation"
April 12th: Richard Hawks, Professor and Head of Landscape Architecture,
SUNY ESF
"Third Annual Charles V. Burger Memorial Lecture"
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Phil Freelon named Tar Heel of the Year
Friday, January 8, 2010
NC State Spring Architecture Lecture Series
February 8th Dana Buntrock, Associate Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley.
February 15th Frank Harmon, NC State Professor of Architecture and Raleigh-based architect will hold the annual Harwell Hamilton Harris lecture.
March 29th Will Bruder, Phoenix-based architect.
April 19th Thomas Barrie, NC State Professor of Architecture and architectural philosophy researcher and writer will be talking about his new book, The Sacred In-Between: The Mediating Roles of Architecture.
It should be an exciting set of of lecturers and most likely the auditorium will be full since there are only four dates on the calendar. Be there early to be sure you get a seat.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Raleigh's little-known connection to Make It Right
I recently had the good fortune to tour the offices of Cherokee on 111 East Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh. The opportunity arose through a personal contact, who, until the recent economic downturn, had been heavily involved with Cherokee’s non-profit arm, Cherokee Gives Back. It began with a simple conversation several months ago when my friend became pleasantly surprised by my interest in Cherokee and their brownfield redevelopment efforts. I had come to know Cherokee while studying urban planning several years ago, when the firm was being touted by a professor as one of the “good guys” in the development world. (I continue to hold the same opinion after coming to know the firm at a much more intimate level.)
A brief pause in the story to give a history of Cherokee and it’s development to become a cutting-edge, sustainable development firm. From Cherokee’s website:
In 1984, a group of investors including Tom Darden purchased four brick plants and merged them to form Cherokee Sanford Group (CSG), which grew to become the largest privately held brick manufacturer in North America. When we discovered petroleum-contaminated soil at one of the plant sites, the regulators suggested taking the impaired soil to a nearby landfill. As an alternative, CSG proposed mixing it with clean clay in the brick-making process. The combustion in the kilns burned up the fuel oil in the soil. From this beginning, CSG started a business of receiving contaminated clay from underground storage tank clean-ups. By 1990, CSG was the largest soil remediator in the mid-Atlantic region, eventually cleaning up nearly 15 million tons of contaminated material.
Tom Darden and John Mazzarino formed the predecessor company of Cherokee in 1993 to focus exclusively on environmentally impaired assets. In 1994 they organized a risk management advisory affiliate and then formed Cherokee's first institutional capital (Fund I) in 1996. Cherokee formed a $250 million private equity fund (Fund II) in 1998, a $620 million fund (Fund III) in 2002, and its current, $1.2 billion fund (Fund IV) in 2005.
Elsewhere on the firm’s website it states that the capital has now grown to nearly $2 billion under management in Fund IV. Make no mistake that Cherokee is in business to make a profit for their investors, but unlike many other developers, they are seeking to achieve that goal by developing sustainable properties, often on formerly contaminated soil.
Initial discussions with my friend gave way, to more serious, sit-down discussions about his previous role with Cherokee. Eventually he loaned me the book Architecture in Times of Need – Make It Right Rebuilding New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward. I read the entire book that day and learned that my friend, Samuel Whitt, was involved with Cherokee Gives Back such that he is currently the only board member of the Make It Right Foundation, although he later told me that they have one board member confirmed to soon join and several others in various stages of discussions.
After one of our discussions, Sam took me on a tour of Cherokee’s Offices in downtown Raleigh, where I met John Mazzarino and Tom Darden, both of whom were friendly and engaging. The real reason for the office visit was to show me Cherokees offices, where they retrofit (in conjunction with property owner Empire Hardhat), a 100 year old furniture store into one of the few Leed Platinum renovation projects in the US. The AIA wrote a fantastically detailed article about the renovation if you follow the link, so there is no need for me to go into detail, but please take a look. The project is very interesting and highlights many of the challenges posed when trying to upfit an old structure into a “green” office building.
Finally, the connection between Cherokee Gives Back and Make It Right goes all the way to the beginnings of MIR. I don’t know all the details, (although they can be found in the book which I referenced earlier), but my understanding is that sometime between late 2006 and early 2007, Tom Darden (CEO Cherokee), Samuel Whitt, William McDonough and others met with Brad Pitt to discuss his ideas to help out the residents of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. This was in response to Pitt’s widely publicized criticisms of the Federal Government’s slow response to help the residents of New Orleans. More detailed information about the mission and history of MIR can be at Make It Right.org.
Personal opinions vary widely on the success of the Make It Right Foundation. However, when many were sitting on their hands, they came in, and through donations, have almost met the original goal of 150 houses and continue to make home ownership (specifically for residents returning to rebuild in the Lower Ninth Ward) a viable option. I recognize that many of the houses are non-traditional, some seem too theoretical or idealistic, but in the end they will be safer, healthier (and hopefully) more affordable houses for the families living in them. More information about the goals for the houses and the homeowner process can again be found on MIR’s website.
This article was not so much about determining the values and successes of the Make It Right Foundation, so much as it was intended to publicize the crucial role that a local firm, Cherokee, played in helping get MIR up and running. Cherokee, through Cherokee Gives Back provided the manhours and expertise to get the ball rolling, by working with Brad Pitt and William McDonough + Partners among many others, including many New Orleans residents. Cherokee also provided the critical institutional infrastructure when the foundation was formed, donations began to roll in and administrative functions were needed. Very quietly, and from hundreds of miles away, a Raleigh firm played a big role in getting what has become a very nationally recognized foundation off the ground. And that’s just one aspect of what Cherokee Gives Back has been busy doing over the past few years.