Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of Rural Studio

Citizen Architect

Citizen Architect

This weekend I had the opportunity to watch Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio. I first heard about the Rural Studio during my sophomore year of college, and I’ve got both An Architecture of Decency and Proceed and Be Bold. If you’re not already familiar with the work of Samuel ‘Sambo’ Mockbee, and Auburn University down in Alabama, I highly suggest you check this documentary out(Or ask, and I’ll be happy to loan you my copy.)

Samuel Mockbee

Samuel Mockbee

Sambo’s work in creating, and growing the design-build curriculum at Auburn was, and remains, an inspiration to those of us who went through design school at a time that seemed to many of us to be more about form than substance. In the era of ‘green building’ it seemed that design, particularly as highlighted by national design magazines, had more to do with big dollar clients, cool materials, and ‘innovative’ forms than with connecting with and serving one’s fellow man. Mockbee is, to me, the antithesis of that mindset. Simultaneously representing both the very best that Architecture and the American south, have to offer.

I tell my students, it’s got to be warm, dry, and noble. ~Sambo Mockbee

Check it out soon. If afterwards you’re not fired up and ready to get started on applying these same principles and ideas to your own community, I’ll be surprised.

Posted in Architecture | Tagged Affordable Housing, rural studio, Samuel Mockbee | Comments closed

Passive House on Jetson Green

Passive House by Anchorage Building Corp.

Passive House by Anchorage Building Corp.

Great news for my friends over at Anchorage Building Corp, their Passive House in Chapel Hill, mentioned here in January, just made its way to Jetson Green!

Jetson Green is a great blog and resource for green building information specific to single family home construction.

I’ve been a huge fan of the Passive House program since I first read about it, and am squirreling away cash each month to become a certified Passive House consultant myself. Kudos to Chris Senior and Kevin Murphy on this house, it came out wonderfully.

Posted in Architecture, Sustainability | Tagged anchorage building, jetson green, passive house, passivhaus | Comments closed

Tax Credits for Renovation & Construction

There are a wide variety of tax credits and incentives available to the person considering a new construction project. Whether those are related to historic preservation, affordable housing, or energy efficiency (for homes or commercial projects) most projects qualify for some type of state, federal, or local incentive.

Building Section illustrating a comprehensive approach to sustainability

Building Section illustrating a comprehensive approach to sustainability

When you pair those incentives with a comprehensive sustainable design approach from the beginning of the project, the payback on your investment can literally begin before you move in!

Posted in Architecture, Sustainability | Comments closed

Architect Rusty Long of Cary Announces New Firm

After working in other offices, the young architect opens his own firm.

 (Cary, NC) – Architect Rusty Long, AIA, has announced the founding of his own firm in Cary, Rusty Long, Architect (www.rustylong.com).

It’s been a dream of mine, since embarking on my architectural education, to start my own firm, Architecture isn’t just a profession to me. It’s a calling. I’ve always felt that there was a need, and a demand, for modern, service-oriented architectural design in the Triangle. I believe strongly that everyone deserves to live and work in a well-designed built environment, and hope to help make that possible for many people for years to come.

Originally from Greensboro, NC, Long grew up in the Triangle region and attended the NC State University College of Design in Raleigh, where he received his Bachelors of Architecture degree in 2005, graduating with honors. He worked at Centex Homes in Raleigh through college, and briefly at BuildSense in Durham after graduation. In 2005, he received the NCSU Masonry Design Award.

 For the past five years, Long has worked with Davenport Architecture & Design Inc. of Roanoke Island, NC. His project experience with Davenport’s firm ranged from small residential additions to large commercial and institutional projects, including several renovation projects for NC State University, for the Shoppes of Kildaire shopping center in Cary (home to the Triangle’s first Trader Joe’s), and for Sutton Square shopping center in Raleigh. He also worked on renovations and additions at the Lost Colony Waterside Theatre on Roanoke Island.

A member of the American Institute of Architects, Rusty Long is also a member of Preservation North Carolina’s Professional Associates Network and has served on Triangle Modernist Houses’ Advisory Council. He is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), which means he has met the highest professional standards established by the registration boards responsible for protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

Long says he is looking forward to working on such projects as single family houses, adaptive reuse and renovation projects (commercial, and residential), and fit-up / interiors projects.

Rusty Long lives in Cary with his wife, Julie, an elementary school teacher in Wake County, and his young daughter, Erynn. Another daughter is on the way.

 For more information on Rusty Long, Architect, visit www.rustylong.com. He also maintains a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rustylongarchitect.

 About Rusty Long, Architect:

Rusty Long, AIA, is the principal and founder of Rusty Long, Architect, a professional, full-service architectural firm based in Cary, NC. A member of the American Institute of Architects, Long is NCARB certified and a member of the Preservation NC Professional Associates Network. His projects include single family houses, adaptive reuse and renovation projects (commercial, and residential), and fit-up / interiors projects. For more information visit www.rustylong.com. Long also maintains a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rustylongarchitect

Rusty Long AIA

Rusty Long AIA

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Sustainability Thursday: High Performance Residential Program

In the buzzword filled world of green building, it can be hard for a client to filter through the greenwashing and find building professionals with a commitment to the performance of their product long after their involvement. For this very reason, I’m intentionally cautious about throwing around words like ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’. With that in mind, here is one of the most impressive and quantifiable high performance programs I’ve ever seen.

Prime Energy Group installing SPF

Prime Energy Group installing SPF

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Posted in Architecture | Tagged Bayer MaterialScience, green building, high performance residential program, Prime Energy Group, sustainability thursday | Comments closed