 The front elevation of the Squires Residence (the 1958 Commencement House) includes a Gold Medallion Home designation from Duke Power, marking the structure as an all-electric home. The open eaves, leading from the right side to the middle, mark the entrance to the house, shedding light on the walkway below. [wcj] The rear of the structure opens to the west with view to the woods. A balcony and open terrace provide outdoor living spaces. A low brick wall screens the carport from view. [wcj] The Commencement House at night demonstrates the mastery of the Loewenstein firm who led the designers of Woman’s College through a process that included lighting studies both exterior and interior. The back of the house glows from within while the front of the house remains visually closed to the street. [wcj] Visitors to the home enter midway between the upper and lower levels. Peering over a half wall into the living room, and then underneath the wall to the dining room below, the design demonstrates how space takes on a lively quality when moving beyond traditional methods of distribution. [wcj] The design calls for a vaulted ceiling in the living room clad with knotty cypress. Exposed brick walls and a finely finished half wall contribute to the natural materials expressed in the work. Rather than mark it with an elaborate mantel, the simple fireplace consists of a low opening in the large brick wall. [wcj] In this view from the upper level balcony into the living room, one sees the bold wall paper that contrasts with all the natural materials. [wcj] The master suite includes a built in desk, series of shelves, and closet to screen the main bedroom from an adjoining dressing area and bathroom. [wcj] Looking from the front entry to the lower-level dining room, visitors become aware of the vertical sweep of the nearly 50-foot-tall brick wall into which the upper level intersects. [wcj] Looking back toward the front entry from the lower-level dining room, all of the layers in the building become more evident. A natural brick floor lays in contrast to the gridded acoustical ceiling above. A door (to the left) provides access to the carport. [wcj] The large built-in kitchen counter anchors the lower level and divides a family room from the cooking area of the kitchen proper. Curiously, the built-in ovens cap off the counter in the center of food preparation area. [wcj] Members of the Woman’s College design studio gather with Loewenstein (back left) in celebrating the opening events associated with the home. [wcj] The Commencement House program includes the design philosophy behind the house: weaving exterior and interior materials together into a vital and interesting interior. [wcj]
| Irvin + Frances Squires Residence
Greensboro (1958)
Built near the intersection of North Elm Street and Cornwallis Drive on a 95’ by 200’ wooded lot, the tri-level design of the house suited the naturally-hilly site, with the ground floor opening to the rear of the site, the middle floor providing the entrance at the front, and the top floor taking advantage of views into the wooded lot from a balcony across the back of the structure. One entered into the house in a foyer with a hallway leading to two bedrooms off to the left, a flight of steps leading to the living room directly ahead, and another flight leading to the dining room below to the right. Many of the rooms took advantage of the great views to the wooded lot and the rear of the house. High peaked ceilings with exposed beams, the open arrangement of the interconnecting rooms, and the rear glass wall combined for a feeling of spaciousness, while the woodsy tones of browns, grays, and golds dominated the interior and settled the building into its wooded landscape.
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