Other Residential Houses

Martha and Wilbur Lee Carter, Jr. Residence (1950-51)

With the landscape virtually untouched, except for the footprint of the house, Loewenstein incorporated passive solar heating qualities into a "solar cell" room on the south side of the Carter Residence. In winter, the masonry floor absorbed heat during the day and radiated it out over the evening hours; in summer, eaves shielded the interior from the sun. Separated public and private space follows an L-shaped plan with natural materials throughout. The Carters worked closely with Loewenstein to develop the structure, eventually settling on the iteration inspired by a Modern painting, an imminently adaptable building that served as a home for the Carters as newlyweds, as a young family, as empty nesters, and as grandparents entertaining a new generation of Carter children. The current owner, Daniel Craft, says "Even fifty years later this house is more functional than houses today."

Eleanor and Marion Bertling Residence (1953)

The Bertling Residence, entirely surrounded by trees on a wooded site, offers privacy and a merging of building and landscape, underscored by a handsome soft-red brick exterior and the presence of a large screen porch at the rear. The interior features the gently hued brick (a means to carry the outside in) and a massive built-in cabinet that fills one entire wall of the dining room, providing a colorful, glass-fronted storage system for china and a divider for the more private family room at its back side. In welcoming the Bertlings to the neighborhood, nearly three-dozen nearby residents signed a petition of support in the construction of a Modernist dwelling, flying in the face of the unwritten restrictions from the planning and zoning department to prohibit Modern structures in the Kirkwood neighborhood.

Jo Anne Spangler Residence (1953)

The Spangler Residence represents one of the few residential structures designed by Loewenstein outside of Guilford County. Located in Danville, Virginia, this house also takes advantage of a deeply wooded lot, this one complete with a stream and steeply banked hillsides. The 1700-square foot, one-story home perches on the hillside and a large exterior deck floats above the creek, suspending deck-sitters in the midst of trees. A solid fireplace anchors the structure to the earth in the midst of a massive glass wall, counterbalancing the notch from the flying eave removed to preserve the other vertical on the south facade, a large shade tree. A central core on the interior of the structure contains bathroom and kitchen, separating the large, combined living-dining room from the more private bedroom and the den. Current owners Porter Aichele and Fritz Janschka purchased the house from the Spangler estate in 2006, citing its livability as a key to their decision to meticulously restore it, bringing back to life this mid-century gem.

Sidney and Kay Stern Residence (1955-56)

The exterior of the Stern Residence floats on the landscape, blending into the natural environment through the use of cypress siding and warm red brick. On the interior, a gravel planting area blurs the boundaries even more by bringing the outside in, reinforced by gently curving changes in floor material, Carolina field stone slipping underneath sliding glass doors. Within the structure, awnings control how the sun affected the interior environment, and a butterfly roof brought more natural light in; walls melt away replaced by large windows and sliding glass doors. Sarah Hunter Kelly's stylish furnishings enliven and animate the interior, providing color and texture that happily dialogue with Loewenstein's shell. Neighbors were not so happy that a Modernist home had found its way to Nottingham Road, putting their own house up for sale as workers finished the Stern residence.

Richard and Joan Steele Residence (1964)

At the Steele Residence, Loewenstein stacks up his more typical one-story buildings into a two-story scheme, taking advantage of the hilly but compact site. Like the Bertling commission, a clear glass china cabinet serves as a room divider, but this time it rests 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."