Petrarca speaks at the University of Nebraska in 2009.

VINCENT "VINNY" T. PETRARCA (1972-)

Petrarca was born in Brooklyn NY and went to high school in Charlotte.  He started early in the architecture field with an internship at Gunn Hardaway.  He then attended the NCSU School of Design, receiving a BEDA in 1994 and Bachelors of Architecture in 1999. 

He worked for Frank Harmon from 1993 to 2003 and left to start Tonic Design and later Tonic Construction, both focused on significant works of Modernist architecture.  His first independent project was his own house, the "Honeymoon Cottage." which won AIANC and South Atlantic Region AIA awards. 

Until 2011, Petrarca's partner in Tonic Design was Heather Washburn AIA.  They met as NCSU classmates and were former employees of Frank Harmon.  Petrarca now is sole owner of both firms.

Tonic is now the leading Modernist homebuilder in North Carolina.  The firm was featured in July 2011 in Custom Home Online.

All of the houses below were built by Tonic Construction unless otherwise noted.

2004 - The Vinny and Heather Petrarca own house, the romantic "Honeymoon Cottage" overlooking Crabtree Creek, 4219 Arbutus Drive, Raleigh. 1700 square feet.  Cost: an amazing $140,000.  The sleek, modern kitchen was constructed for about $1700, using an IKEA cabinet system and concrete and Galvalume steel countertops.  Photos by James West.

2004 - The David Hill Addition, 2803 Wayland Drive, Raleigh NC.  Designed by David Hill AIA.  Built by Tonic Construction.

2004 - The Rod McCowan House, 222 Tennwood Court, Durham.  This incredible home took four years from start to finish and is one of the Triangle largest examples of Modernist design.  It took so long due to numerous design changes plus squabbles between the architects.  Frank Harmon basically designed the exterior.  Petrarca and Charles Holden, both of whom by then had left Harmon's firm, did the rest of the project.  Petrarca’s Tonic Construction and Sigmon Construction built it.  Four bedrooms, 6456 square feet, four full bathrooms, two half baths.  Was on the market from 2008-2010.  Foreclosed in August 2010.  Sold in February 2011 to Madhu Beriwal, who did a restoration designed by Ellen Cassilly.

2006 - The John and Molly Chiles Residence, 4217 Laurel Ridge Drive, Raleigh.  Petrarca and Charles Holden designed this unique home on the steel frame of a previous residence left in disrepair for 15 years.  James Franklin Taylor, a product design graduate of the NCSU School of Design, built the original frame and house in the 1970’s with his buddy Ligon Flynn.  Taylor constantly changed things, taking apart whole sections and rebuilding.  He even had a room rather like a hovercraft that would "float" around the steel frame.  Most of the time, however, the house was in tarps.  It was constantly under construction from Taylor's tinkering.  Taylor decided to move to the Bahamas and lived in a pretty great Frank Harmon house.  After Taylor's death, his wife sold the land to the Chiles.  Petrarca did the construction.

3,800 square feet on 1.83 acres.  Structural Engineer, Richard Kaydos-Daniels.  Second photo by Leilani Carter.  Other photos by James West.

2006 - The Kevin and Melissa Collins Residence, 3920 Woodbine Road, Raleigh. Designed to create a private courtyard with stellar views to a pond.  3814 square feet on 2.15 acres.  Won an AIA Triangle award in 2007.

2008 - The Todd and Jodie Lanning Residence, 111 Rosecrans Court, Cary. 
Built for current owners, the architect's sister and brother-in-law.  Photos by James West.

2008 - The Doug and Ann Sharpe Renovation, 401 Silver Hill Road, Concord MA.  Built by SD Fitzgerald of Concord.  The project architect was Robby Johnston.  A renovation and reorganization of a 1960's house, bottom photo. Top three photos by Anton Grassl/Esto.

2008 -  The Jim Schafer Residence, South Landing Lot #6, Leasburg, NC.  Unbuilt.

2009 - The Bobby and Kristi Walters Residence, aka the GREENvilleHOUSE, Greenville NC.  4042 total square feet, integrating photovoltaic technology, solar hot water, and geothermal HVAC systems. This is the first LEED Silver Modernist house in North Carolina.  Commissioned 2005.  Features a combination of storefront floor-to-ceiling and aluminum-framed operable and non-operable windows; maple built-ins and cabinets designed by Tonic; maple floors; and ipe decks.  Tonic project manager Robby Johnston made sure all the wood was FSC-certified, which meant educating every subcontractor and supplier.  Was an Architectural Record Home of the Month and a News and Observer Home of the Month.  Also won a 2010 AIANC COTE Environmental Design Award.  Roof by Pickard Roofing.  Photos by Todd Lanning, Gravitation Studios.   Part of the TMH Downeast Tour, March 2011.

2009 - The Michael Rosenberg Residence, a condo at 301 West Barbee Chapel Road, Chapel Hill.  
Built by Riley Lewis of Raleigh.  Photos by James West.

2010 - The George Smart and Eleanor Stell Residence, 5409 Pelham Road, Durham, on the lakefront site of an 1960's ranch (left bottom photo).  2400 square feet.  Ted Arendes was the project archtiect.  Photos by Todd Lanning, Ted Arendes, and George Smart.  Won a 2010 AIANC Design Award of Merit.

2010 - The Michael Mezzatesta and Nancy Kitterman Addition/Renovation, 1908 South Lakeshore Drive, Chapel Hill.  Built by David Ballard.  The original house (top photo), architect unknown, was built in 1962 for Rhoda Hunter Wynn by Van Thomas of Siler City.

2011 - The Alex Cedeño House, aka the James River House, James River Watch Drive, Richmond VA. 
Built by Shearman Associates.  Photo by John Suddath.  Part of the TMH Modern Richmond Tour 2011.

2011 - The Alex Rosenberg and Martha Reeves Residence, 3020 Wade Road, Durham. 
Photos by George Smart. 

2011 - The John and Stacy Crabill House, aka Crabill Modern, 5204 Margon Place, Hillsborough NC.  Part of the TMH Hillsborough Modernist Tour, August 2011.

2011 - The Oxner Residence, Seven Devils NC.  
Built by Vincent Properties Construction.  Photo by Tonic Design.

2011 - The Jonathan and Ilsy Chappell Residence,
1742 Nottingham, Raleigh.  Photos by Gail Jodon, George Smart.

2012 - The Simon and Deborah Gregory House, 3422 Randolph Road, Durham. 
Photo by Tonic Design.

Projected 2012 - The Compton's Pond House, Hilllsborough NC.

Sources include:  Jim Schafer, John Chiles, Sally Bugg, Kenneth Hobgood, Phil Szostak, Ted Arendes, Katherine Hogan, Vinny Petrarca, Ilsy Chappell, Davis Hammer, Robby Johnston, Custom Home Magazine.