Mountain Modern Architecture Inspired by the Past
At Samsel Architects, our custom mountain modern architecture takes great inspiration from WNC’s vernacular architecture that we translate into modern living.
Through the Years: Preservation Projects
2020 marks thirty-five years for our firm. Since our founding, we have worked on hundreds of projects of all kinds throughout the Southern Appalachian region. In honor of the anniversary, we are reviewing the evolution of our projects since opening our doors in 1985. Today we take a glimpse at a handful of our historic preservation projects in downtown Asheville. You can see the previous 35th Anniversary posts here: Hospitality & Education Commercial Residences 1 Residences 2
Center for Craft Renovation wins 2020 Griffin Award
Our renovation at 67 Broadway in downtown Asheville has won a 2020 Griffin Award from The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County. 67 Broadway is home to Center for Craft’s National Craft Innovation Hub. This is the 17th Griffin Award for our studio since we opened the doors in 1985. The Center for Craft headquarters is in a historic four-story brick structure that was built in 1912. We worked with Center for Craft to renovate the building, maintain its historic certification and highlight the beauty of its existing structural systems. Breathing new life into three of the building’s four stories,
Downtown Apartment Renovation Revisited
May is National Preservation Month, and to celebrate we are revisiting one of our historic renovation projects in Downtown Asheville. This apartment is on the top level of a 1905 building that is on the National Register of Historic Places. For our renovation, we redesigned the cramped interior to be open and modern while still preserving the historic charm of the granite building. To learn more about Preservation Month, you can visit The National Trust for Historic Preservation. This month, they have virtual tours of important landmarks across the US. You can also visit and learn from our local society, The
USModernist teams with Architectural Record to provide access to magazine archives
122 years of Architectural Record is now available online at the USModernist Library. Architectural Record and USModernist announced their partnership earlier this month. The magazine has been a leading publication for design professionals since it first published in 1891. USModernist Library hosts a vast digital archive of architectural magazines and modernist architects throughout the US. Partnerships like this are important to preserve architectural history and promote the profession and appreciation of the architecture field. George Smart, founder of USModernist, says “Adding Architectural Record’s archives into our library gives the public an incredible resource of history and information about nearly every building
Thirty Years at 60 Biltmore Avenue
2017 marks 30 years that Samsel Architects has been in our upper level studio at 60 Biltmore Avenue in downtown Asheville. Although the company was founded in 1985, it wasn’t until 1987 that the business officially moved in the studio overlooking Biltmore. When our firm’s founding principal, Jim Samsel, and his real estate partner, Barry Olen, decided to rehabilitate 60 Biltmore, the long-abandoned building was severely dilapidated. Windows were broken or boarded up, decades of paint covered the original brick facade, and the interior was piled high with collapsed areas of both roof and floor structures. But there was potential! And, in
COHAB coming to life in High Point
Samsel Architects has been hard at work creating a concept for a new creativity hub in High Point, NC called COHAB. COHAB will be a new co-working and co-living space inside a renovated hosiery mill complex. It’s purpose is to bring together individuals from our region and around the globe to create new ideas and a reinvigorated product manufacturing industry for High Point. There are also plans for a community space, garden, and a cafe. From COHAB’s website: COHAB is High Point’s first co-working space and the only design center of its kind in the world: a bridge between our local community
Historic Renovation in Chapel Hill
Above: Animation of Chapel Hill Renovation before and after. This 1930s house in Chapel Hill had always been a perfect fit for the homeowners and their child. As the teenage years started to approach however, it was time for a housing shift. Initially, building a new house was considered and our clients purchased a parcel of rural land to pursue that dream. Upon further reflection though, the family decided to stay put and continue to enjoy their great neighborhood - just with a major renovation to the house for “modern-life” enhancements. The ca. 1933 Dutch Colonial house in one of Chapel Hill’s historic
Samsel Architects Works with Wilkesboro on Downtown Rejuvenation
Samsel Architects has teamed up with the town of Wilkesboro to help them forge a new downtown experience. Wilkesboro is in the beginning stages of a downtown rejuvenation with the purpose of restoring vitality to their historic town. The first phase of the rejuvenation includes plans for three major components: A revamped open air market A versatile lawn in front of the Wilkesboro Heritage Museum A new, permanent outdoor stage Wilkesboro reached out to our firm to help with the design of the outdoor stage. This stage will be the biggest visual change to downtown Wilkesboro and will be located at
Loft Renovation Becomes a Home for Art
Samsel Architect's recent downtown loft renovation delivers a welcoming new home for our client as well as for his extensive art collection. As both an artist and collector, the homeowner wanted a space that was not only comfortable to live and create in, but also one that provided the ideal setting for his diverse art collection. We met this challenge by incorporating thoughtful illumination and a sensible color palette. This loft is located on the upper level of a historic Downtown Asheville building built in 1905. A thoughtful repositioning of the original and more formal apartment yielded a new plan for