Triangle Modernist Houses

Compiled by George Smart, Jr.                                                          

BRIAN SHAWCROFT, AIA

Brian Shawcroft finished his Masters in Architecture at MIT and Harvard University in 1960. From that date until 1968 he was an associate professor of architecture at the NCSU School of Design.  In 1968, he joined with Dan MacMillan to form MacMillan, MacMillan, Shawcroft and Thames which broke up in 1970. With Clay Taylor, he then established the firm Shawcroft-Taylor in 1971. From the 1970's through the late 1990's, he designed almost all of the modernist house inventory in the Triangle.  In 1991, Shawcroft was awarded the Henry Kamphoefner Prize.

"It's all computers.  No one can draw anymore."

1961 - The Robert and Ann Work Residence, 214 Hillcrest Circle, Chapel Hill, designed with Robert Burns.  Won an AIANC award in 1962,  Structural engineer Charles Kahn got credit for the award, but according to Shawcroft, Kahn only  added detail for one beam.  Built by Triangle Home Builders.  Sold to Chester and Edna Davidson in 1966.  Sold to current owners Teva Stone and Daniel Simpkins in 2002. 

1962 - The Hans and Christian Gerhard House, 2707 Sevier Street, Durham.  Sold to Philip and Helen Pratt in 1966.  Sold to current owner Adam and Cheryl Fowler in 1994.  4613 sf.  Top photo of back of house from 1962, bottom of front of house from 2006.

1962 - The Nathan and Rita Kaufmann House, 2532 Sevier Street, Durham.  Sold to Frederick and Arlene Thurstone in 1967.  Sold to current owner George Somjen in 1990.  Top photo from 1962, bottom from 2006.

1963 - The Bruce and Nancy Wardropper House, 3443 Rugby Road, Durham.  2280 square feet.  Doug Janes designed the carport and has plans on hand for a bathroom renovation.  Sold in 2006 to Deborah Kargl.  Now for sale.

1963 - The Louis and Helen DeAlessi House, 2624 McDowell Street, Durham. Published in Southern Liviing.  Sold to Philip and Mary Lou Stevenson in 1968.  Sold to Gregory Ruff in 1987.  Sold to Erol and Deniz Gelenbe in 1993. Sold to current owner Daniel Barboriak in 1998. 

1963 - The Seanor House, 6 Davie Lane, Chapel Hill. They left for Seattle. Sold to the Garners.  Sold to Mark Shuman in 1986.  Sold to current owners Amy and Jeff Demagistris.

1966 - The Julia Watkins House, 1708 Curtis Road, Chapel Hill. Bought by Margaret Sachs in 1993.

1968 - The Knoerr Residence, who still live there.  1608 Woodburn Road, Durham. 

1966 - The Robert Work Residence, 1800 Rangecrest, Raleigh.  This was Shawcroft's second house for the Work family.  Sold to Elmer Wellons in 1986.  Sold to Robert and Carol Spitz later in 1986.

1971 - The Stack Residence (destroyed by fire), Fayetteville NC.

1974 - The Charles and Joann Jones Residence, 3705 Shadybrook Road, Raleigh. Joann Jones died young, her husband later remarried.  Sold to Jerry C. Liebhart in 1986.  Sold to Triple B Investment (Baxter Benson) in 1988.  Sold to John Kilgore in 1991.  Sold to James and Molly Kuehn in 1995.  Sold in 2001 to current owners Mack and Julie Paul. They began renovations in 2007 designed and built by Vincent Petrarca.  The original “under-the-house” carport was converted from an exterior covered parking space to an interior family room/guest suite. A separate garage was added to provide parking.

1975 - The Charles L. Fulton Residence, 3624 Williamsborough Court, Raleigh, was curiously destroyed around 2006 when neighbor Gregory Poole bought the property.

1976 - The Gary Haakenson Residence, 3800 Ebenezer Church Road, Raleigh.

1976 - Shawcroft's first house for himself, 1509 Pineview Street, Raleigh. Bought in 1997 by Rodney and Nancy Rich.

1976 - 6801 W. Lake Anne Drive, Raleigh.  Shawcroft and his partners Clay Taylor and Jerry Cook designed this home for a client who did not pay their bill.  Undeterred, they built it on spec and sold it to William and Sharivar Wakeham.   Bought by Nikolay Klibson in 1998.  Bought by Mohammad Malek in 2000.  Bought by Allison and Reuben McFadden in 2002.   Bought by Debra Miller in 2006.

1983 - Built for curren owner Julie McVay. 3104 Churchill Road, Raleigh.

1994 - The William and Linda Nelson Residence, 2110 Buckingham Road, Raleigh. 
Ellen Weinstein did renovations in 2004.   

1996 - Dr. Linville Meadows Residence, North Plank Road, Sanford.  Shawcroft regards this as his finest work, taking three years to build. The house has recently been sold and the new owners have created a 200-acre estate.

1997 - The Douglas and Linda Cain Residence, 4820 Golden Heights Drive, Raleigh.

1964 - The Leroy Martin House, built near Crabtree Valley, Raleigh (destroyed around 2001).

2002 - His own house, the Gruer/Shawcroft Residence, 5215 Melbourne Road, Raleigh. 
2215 sf.   Built by David Ballard.

2006 - The Kuehn Residence, 820 Fairall Drive, Raleigh.
Located on one of the very few unpaved roads inside the Beltline.

1995 - The David and Leslie Browder House, 402 Wildwood Avenue, Rocky Mount NC.  Shawcroft was working on a renovation of their bungalow, then the house flooded during a hurricane.  They decided to tear it down and Shawcroft designed a new one.

1986 - The Alan and Marty Finkel Residence, Raleigh. 

1991 - The Alan and Marty Finkel Residence, 3566B Hwy 96, Oxford NC, his second house for them.  

Original development map of the Duke Forest neighboorhood in Durham, location for many of Shawcroft's houses.