NC Modernist Houses' Founder George Smart Receives AIA North Carolina's Legacy Award

DURHAM, N.C. - Sept. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- On a moonlit night aboard the USS North Carolina in Wilmington, NC, George Smart, founder of North Carolina Modernist Houses (NCMH), received the prestigious Legacy Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA NC).

According to AIA NC, the Legacy Award is given to non-architect organizations or individuals “who demonstrate that they have, with purpose, influenced the advancement of architecture and/or raised the public’s awareness of the positive impact that architecture and planning can make on the perception and livability of North Carolina communities.” It has only been awarded twice before: to Biltmore Corporation in Asheville in 2010 and Preservation North Carolina in 2011.

NCMH (formerly Triangle Modernist Houses) is a non-profit organization dedicated to archiving, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential design across the state from the 1950s to today.

Along with creating the country’s largest open digital archive of Modernist houses and architects at www.ncmodern.org, NCMH maintains a free listing of NC Modernist houses for sale or rent.  The site has 60 gigs of content including architecture magazines and other documents, lectures, and video interviews with NC architects.

NCMH hosts public tours of Modernist houses; supports 9^th and 10^th grade design education through Project BauHow; sponsors an annual series of architecture movies; hosts summer networking happy hours for the design community; and hosts an annual dinner where local Modernist architects gather with the  public. All NCMH events are intended to raise awareness of Modernist design, to connect people with Modernist architects, and to help preserve Modernist houses for future generations.

In 2012, NCMH created the George Matsumoto Prize, a unique design awards program that recognizes excellence in recent single-family Modernist residential design in North Carolina.

In his presentation in Wilmington, Executive Director David Crawford quoted architect Frank Harmon, FAIA, as saying: “No one has done more for North Carolina architecture in the last six years than George Smart.”

For more information on the AIA NC Legacy Award, go to www.aianc.org and click on “Design and Chapter Awards.” For more information on George Smart and NCMH, visit www.ncmodern.org.

About NC Modernist Houses:

NC Modernist Houses (formerly Triangle Modernist Houses) is an award-winning 501C3 nonprofit established in 2007 and dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential design. The website is now the largest open digital archive for Modernist residential design in America. NCMH also hosts popular architecture events every month, giving the public access to the most exciting residential architecture, past and present. These tours and events raise awareness and help preserve these "livable works of art" for future generations. NCMH has received the 2013 Legacy Award from AIA North Carolina, the 2013 Isoceles Award from AIA Triangle, the 2011 Anthemion Award from Capital Area Preservation, the 2011 Advocacy Award from Preservation Durham, the 2009 Sir Walter Raleigh Individual Award for Community Appearance from the City of Raleigh, the 2009 Paul E. Buchanan Award from the Vernacular Architecture Forum, the 2008 Gertrude Carraway Award from Preservation NC, and a 2008 Award of Merit from the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill, In  June 2012 the Raleigh News & Observer named George Smart “Tar Heel of the Week.” For more information: www.ncmodern.org.