Leader + Educator + Friend + Visionary

Born in Chicago in 1913, Edward Loewenstein received his design education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and graduated with an architecture degree in 1935. He moved to Greensboro, North Carolina in 1946 with the love of his life, Francis Stern, after completing his term of service in the Navy. Francis, a native of the Greensboro area and daughter of local businessman Julius Cone, provided access to a large social network of contacts within the local Jewish community. Through his connection to the Cone family, Loewenstein utilized these social contacts to build a rapport with leaders in the business community and secure design commissions for both residential and commercial projects that helped redefine the modern face of Greensboro.

The culture of Greensboro, North Carolina is one of community, tradition, and conservatism. Additionally, there is a strong connection to the arts and the natural surroundings that include the verdant landscape and historic forests. Loewenstein's version of mid-century modernism, often called gentle modernism, is one that integrated the style of Greensboro's southern ideals and influences into his architecture. Loewenstein's structures do more than sit on the land, they are carefully woven within the local landscape and facilitate those values that are important to the community.

Loewenstein established his first firm in Greensboro in 1946 and in 1953, his firm expanded to Loewenstein-Atkinson, when he partnered with Robert A. Atkinson, Jr. An active and productive firm, even up until Loewenstein's untimely death in 1970, Loewenstein-Atkinson was a leader in the community. Driven by a man who knew the importance of commitment and community, the firm was the first in Greensboro, North Carolina to hire African American architects and design professionals. Among the first African American architects were William Street, Edward Jenkins and Clinton Gravely.

Because of Loewenstein's active involvement in the community, serving with the Cerebral Palsy Association, on the board of the Greensboro Preservation Society, and as an advocate of civil rights, the Loewenstein-Atkinson firm completed many buildings for the greater good of Greensboro. Many of these public structures, both modern and traditional stylistically, included schools, hospitals and religious institutions.

Among his more traditional work was the master plan for Bennett College, traditionally an African American women's college. Loewenstein-Atkinson built twelve of the campus buildings, including the President's House in 1955.

Within his modern buildings, one sees the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright's connection to the land and Walter Gropius' Bauhaus ideals. Loewenstein's own house, built in 1954 and featured in the New York Times magazine in June 1955, remains the archetypal model of his personal style and is the best example that illustrates his design techniques.

Typical of many of his residences, Loewenstein situated the house on a large wooden lot, hidden from the road. The driveway and walkways meander in a curved line from the road to the detached carport to the main entrance. The organic and selective curves mesh well with the immediate surroundings of the wooded lot. At the front entrance, the stone from the exterior walkway continues into the foyer, and faithful to Loewenstein's residential designs, the foyer immediately opens to the public space of the living room, welcoming and directed. Loewenstein believed in an honesty of construction and exposed many structural elements, like the angled I-beams that supported the ceiling in the living room.

High ceilings and a curved stonewall pull the visitor into a room dominated by a large slanted windows that bring the exterior landscape into the space. These windows and accompanying eaves are cleverly designed to capitalize on the angle of the sun at different times of the year - maximizing light and heat in the winter and minimizing direct sunlight in the summer. Light was also an important feature throughout his designs and he used both clerestory windows and skylights all through his own house. The natural light was supplemented by nearby hidden fluorescent fixtures for nighttime lighting.

Public and private spaces are defined by an L-shaped floor plan, with the bedrooms and accompanying spaces in one wing and the living, dining and entertaining spaces located in the other wing. Loewenstein made use of built-in storage closets and shelving to lessen the amount of required furniture, in turn lessening the need for larger rooms. In the master suite is a bathroom designed with his and hers sinks, and a custom sink height that accommodates Loewenstein's large stature of 6'4", as well as Greensboro's first bidet.

Committed to using local and indigenous materials, Loewenstein used brick, slate and Carolina fieldstone throughout his home. By mixing these warmer materials with the more modern steel, glass and metal found commonly in modernist buildings, Loewenstein began to soften the cold hard edge that was Modernism.

More than anything, and true of many of the residences, the home encourages a visitor to explore and discover its secrets. The spaces are not intimidating or cold as some might classify modern architecture, but rather warm and inviting. Even now the house still begs for family and friends to gather together and experience life. And although the design ideas were new, they encouraged tradition through community and created a sense of place that fit perfectly within Greensboro.