Mangum506 is the first new construction, mixed-use residential project to be constructed in downtown Durham. It includes 21 residential units, along with 4 ground-level retail units. The focus of the project is to provide affordable, cool designs with a variety of floor plans and unit sizes.

AUGUST 2010
SCOTT HARMON (1962-)

Born in Atlanta GA, Scott Harmon attended Rice University School of Architecture from 1981-1988 and interned with Robert A.M. Stern in New York in 1986.  In 1992, Scott moved to Durham and worked at City Planning and Architectural Associates in Chapel Hill with Don Stewart, Bob Anderson and Ralph Lasater.  He left to start J. Scott Harmon Architect in 2000.  In 2004, Scott and David Arneson started Center Studio Architecture where they continue to work today.  Center Studio’s work includes numerous houses, as well as significant loft, restaurant, office, and mixed-use projects in downtown Durham.

My mind is like a bad neighborhood and I ought not go there by myself.

Mark Twain said, “I’m an old man and I’ve known many troubles, most of which never happened.

Left to my own devices, I’m likely to gravitate toward fear and its inevitable companion…control.  Life is not this tidy, and the opportunities that will make the greatest difference in my life are not likely to present themselves without the help of others (see: evolve, below).

Starting my own business required good therapy.

What they won’t teach you in business school (and CERTAINLY not architecture school) is that starting one’s own business is the most certain way possible to bring to the forefront every character flaw, weakness, unresolved childhood issue, and 12-step-qualifying obsession one has.   All at once.  No foreplay.  No organized to-do-list.  Everything.  Face them or run.

Architects don’t fail in business because they make crappy buildings.  They fail because they don’t know how to market themselves.

I actually learned this one from our esteemed host, George Smart.  Some of you may not know that, as a business consultant, he’s coached many an architect.  Listen to him.  He’s right.

Charge extra for ugly.

This one’s easy for most of us.

Give clients all the information they need to make good decisions.

This one’s hard for most of us.  A client who’s remotely willing to pay the fee I’d like to charge has a right to expect this.  Design and construction are fraught with competing resources, endless variables, compromises, bad news, and of course…opportunity and vision.  When I present this in a way that empowers a client to exercise good judgment, I’m bringing meaningful value to the process.

Make sure my clients love me when the process is over.

I can’t tell you how much trouble I’ve avoided with this simple rule.  I’m reminded of one client that I fired early in the process.  I told her, “remember when I said I wanted to make sure you loved me when this process is over?  Well…the only way that’s going to happen is if you hire another architect.”  We still see each other and hug all the time.  Most dysfunctional client I’ve ever had, and we avoided disaster.

This rule is also good to keep in mind when the inevitable conflict comes up and we fuss over fees, services, and mistakes.  I try to keep my eye on the prize and pick my battles carefully.

Know and love my weaknesses.

I was raised to learn as much as I could, play my strengths and hide my weaknesses.  My parents couldn’t help it…they wanted me to succeed.  But it’s not possible to hide them (see: …good therapy, above).  The more comfortable and candid I am with my weaknesses, the more likely I am to surround myself with colleagues and partners who strengthen and compliment them.  Entrepreneurship is much more enjoyable in this context.

Some things are worth crying over.

Unfortunately, I’m hard-wired to avoid pain and sadness, which are both inevitable.  I’m never happy with the outcome of this strategy.  When I lost my Mom in 2005 I learned that some things are supposed to hurt.  Life’s wonder and joy are far more complete when I don’t run from difficulty.

I can’t have integrity unless I’m willing to disappoint someone.

I get into lots of trouble when I focus on your goals instead of mine.  Don’t think this lesson is in conflict with “…make sure my clients love me…”, above.  It’s not.  I can disappoint you and we can still love one another.

Evolve.

Here I come back to the first lesson.  Control and fear are certain to keep me locked away in my own mind with the world around me growing smaller and narrower and more terrifying.

Change.  Trust.  Evolve.  Grow.  For it to really make a difference, it can’t be of my own design.  It has to come from something greater than me.

Being entrepreneurs of a small business ourselves, we bring more than just design and technical expertise to these project clients. What is the essential goal of your business? Who are your clients? How do you market to them and attract their business? How will you meet their expectations? What do the feel and experience when they walk in your door? Does your space or building support your efforts, or get in the way?

Our involvement at the community level is integral to our business. We volunteer our time and expertise to interface with non-profits, the City of Durham, and other businesses in order to strengthen the entire community.

Mangum 506 is the first mixed-use residential project in downtown Durham to be built entirely from the ground up. Formerly a vacant parking lot, this kind of infill construction in the urban core is a critical strategy for sustainable development. Retail spaces line the main thoroughfare, and a quiet courtyard between the two buildings is designed as a private tree-lined “street”, giving residents access to private garages. The units are compact and affordable, keeping the vision of downtown within reach of a much larger community. See the portfolio of this project at Mangum 506.

This Trinity Park landmark, designed in 1925 by Milburn & Hester as a residence for elderly women, has been turned into an elegant small hotel. Many layers of remodeling had to be removed, but the most dramatic change was the restoration of the front hall, where a decades-old firewall was removed and the broad staircase opened up. The 17 guest rooms have all modern amenities with a historic ambiance and the public rooms have even been furnished with original pieces.  See the portfolio of this project at King’s Daughters Inn.

This award recognizes a combination of renovation and addition. The screened porch floor and columns were completely rebuilt. An upstairs interior hall closet was reconfigured to create a functional office area and a closet was consumed into the expanded master bathroom. The addition of space to the kitchen and master suite blend perfectly with the historic structure. See the portfolio of this project at Forest Hills.

Owners Cynthia Hill & Rex Miller received this award for the renovation of their historic home in Trinity Park.  This was our second project for Cynthia (see Movie Star and our 2007 Pyne Award below for our first project with her).  She and Rex uncovered a Transitional Victorian gem when they removed old vinyl siding and rebuilt the wraparound porch. Inside, they preserved the elegant staircase, arched doorways, mirrored mantle, and hardwood floors and woodwork. A new kitchen and family room were floored with boards saved from benches from the recently demolished Minges Coloseum in Greenville. The attic was renovated into a modern home office.

Awarded to owners Reynolds Maxwell and Brad Wiese, this is a rehab of a rehab. The current work first removed 80 years of renovations to reveal the bare bones of the two buildings that make up this complex. The harmony of new construction with the historic building is immediately apparent in the new storefront window system. New tenants can enjoy original construction details and methods not seen today, including restored windows, as well as new features like an outdoor deck on the second floor level.  See the portfolio of this project at Studebaker.

Our first project for Cynthia Hill, this commercial building in the heart of Downtown was restored to accommodate a residence upstairs over commercial space below. Much of the original structure had been destroyed in a fire in the 1970s, and the facade was restored based on old photos of the building. Many of the features in the residence are recycled products from within this building or other buildings, including the sliding fire door at the entrance to the bedroom; cabinets, sinks, and countertops in the kitchen; and the wood doors from Duke University. See the portfolio of this project at Movie Star.