The 1958 Commencement House

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. According to the press, "The choice of color, the natural wood finishes, the brick walls, and the wide glass panels blend the house perfectly with its wooded setting."

The students alone did not achieve the building and furnishing of the house as they cemented partnerships with local building supply companies and house furnishing concerns, including Duke Power Company, which awarded the house a gold medallion for electrical excellence; Walker-Martin, Inc. (Greensboro), who provided General Electric kitchen and laundry equipment; Southard Electric Company (Stokesdale), the electrical contractor; Appliance and TV Center, Inc. (Greensboro), who donated television sets, a refrigerator and freezer; Hardware Distributors Company (Greensboro), who provided hardware throughout the house; Dick and Kirkman Heating Company (Greensboro), heating contractors; Dixie Furniture Company (Lexington) and Summit Furniture Company (Greensboro) who gave furniture and case goods, lamps, and accessories to the home.

Apparently the house met the needs of the market and the confluence of all of its partners, who contributed to the success of the venture. Though built on speculation (Gulledge and his wife acted as the clients for the students) with a budget of $30,000, the house sold to the Squires family for $45,000 less than two months later. And before that contract was signed, at the dedication of the first house, Ivy and Loewenstein conceived of a second project, continuing to work in partnership with Superior Contracting. "The only real drawback in this venture," agreed Ivy and Gulledge, "is that we didn't start in time. Ten weeks ago, this was a vacant lot. We expect to overcome that handicap in the future." Loewenstein, Ivy, and Gulledge in fact continued in partnership and achieved their goal for a house built the next year, less than a mile to the west, but for another, built in 1965 in nearby Sedgefield, they collapsed the design and build process to one semester.