 A wood and copper wall screens the carport area from the entranceway to the structure, distinguishing public and private. The strong horizontal of the sloping roof and the wide overhangs balance the vertical emphasis of the south and east façades. [ctb] Along the north side, the building nestles into its wooded site. Carefully manicured gardens and lawns contribute to the sense of outdoor rooms adjacent to the house. [ctb] The vertical stands as an anchor for the floating structure, contrasting groundedness and floating qualities captured in the structure. Large windows provide visual access of the exterior from the inside of the home. Typical of most Loewenstein houses, a circulation spaces divides public from private with built-in storage to help shape the space. Between the center entry and the companion service door, the designers specified a number of specially designed, built-in cabinets for milk and mail delivery and for the storage of golf clubs. [wli] Taking advantage of the sloping site, this lower level only receives light from the north and the designers oriented all of the rooms on this level face to face that light. [wli] The living room features many storage cupboards and book shelves designed to integrate the Edenton mantle into the interior scheme for the structure. Uplighting draws attention to the ceiling of the room, uncharacteristic for Loewenstein in its austere finish. [ctb] A glass shelved cabinet, designed for the Steeles to display souvenirs from their world travels, sits between front hall and living room, serving as a screen of sorts. This built in echoes those at the Bertling Residence. [pll] An accordion door divides living room from dining room before and after the evening meal for service, further evidence of compartmentalization within the public spaces of the design. [pll] Pecky cypress siding, brick, and slate used throughout the interior tie the building to the landscape through materials. Wood paneling and grass cloth wallpaper complement this natural palette, while uplighting highlights all material surfaces. [pll] Working drawings show the Edenton fireplace mantel and its impact on the aesthetics of the living room. The Loewenstein firm took the cue from the mantel to design panels throughout the space. [wli]
| Richard + Joan Steele Residence
Greensboro (1964)
At the Steele Residence, Loewenstein stacks up his more typical one-story buildings into a two-story scheme, nestling the structure into hilly but compact 10’x140’ compact site. Clerestory windows, picture windows, and awning windows abound on this structure, providing tremendous light to the interior. A clear glass china cabinet serves as a room divider, resting at the confluence of dining room, living room, and front foyer. A guest to the home can descend the open staircase in the foyer to the lower level where large windows open onto the landscape. The Steeles salvaged an Edenton fireplace surround and, like the many treasures they collected from extensive world travels, asked that Loewenstein incorporate them into the mid-century structure, a task he accomplished handily. The Steeles concurred that Loewenstein remained committed to responsive client service for this house, having given him free reign in the initial design and then working with him to then “alter his designs, making them less expensive.”
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