Penland, N.C.
Frank Harmon Architect

Photography © J West Productions

Hi-tech design invigorates an ancient art

"Designed in a minimal way, the project features state-of-the-art machinery enhancing the craft of blacksmithing." —Paul Herzan Architect Frank Harmon Architect frankharmon.com Client Penland School of Crafts Key players Synergetics (structural); Ernest Myatt (mechanical); Appalachian Building Services (general contractor) Read more Project Portfolio [October 2002]

Program: Iron making and blacksmithing, two of the most popular programs at the Penland School of Crafts, had outgrown their studio. A new state-of-the-art facility needed to demonstrate the school's commitment to the trades and offer plenty of natural light and good ventilation. The space required a flexible design to accommodate future change in the technology and teaching of the two arts, and to promote an open dialogue between teachers and students.

Solution: The architect and his team attended an intensive three-day course in iron making in order to better understand the art and to afford the school an opportunity to collaborate on the design of the new studio. A repetitive, rigid-frame structural module was used as a design element for the new, 5,500-square-foot space. Roll-up doors and outdoor teaching areas open the studio to mountainside views. Skylights bring natural light into the space and promote energy conservation. An open plan allows for increased transparency throughout the facility and visual connections between teachers and students. Glass-block walls provide acoustical separation where needed. The new studio increased the school's public recognition, prompting enrollment to skyrocket 100 percent over previous years, raising the level of expectation for the other departments on campus.

For more images please see the November 2004 issue or Architectural Record.
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Browse the Projects

The Winners: Limerick County Hall | Britomart Transport Centre | Ehime Prefectural Budokan | Humane Society/SPCA of San Antonio and Bexar County | James M. Wood Comm. Cntr. | Finn Center, Community School of Music and Arts | Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center | MoMA QNS | Iron Studio, Penland School | Israeli Foreign Ministry

The Finalists: Quintessa Winery | FDNY Fire Zone | University Health Network/ Toronto Hospita | General Mills, World Headquarters | Hotel Monaco (Tariff Building) | Marion Oliver McCaw Hall | Ford Rouge Center | San Francisco Ferry Building | Brentwood Skytrain Station

Editors' Choice: Satellite Operations Facility & Administrative Offices | Montclair Lofts

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