Another historic gem from the Modernist era is threatened with demolition.

The Lassiter House, built by A.G. Odell in 1952, is the oldest known Modernist residence in Charlotte, North Carolina. The original owners, who worked with the architect on the design, put the house on the market last year but it hasn’t sold.

On February 24, 2011, a National Alert was issued on the house by North Carolina’s non-profit organization for modernist residential architecture, Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH). If it doesn’t sell by June, this house is history.

A rare example of modernist design in the South, where a more traditional aesthetic in housing design has prevailed, the Lassiter House was featured in the September 1956 issue of Better Homes & Gardens. Its open floor plan, single story, steel beams, flat roof, slab foundation, wood siding, extensive use of glass walls and doors are what give this house its modernist mystique.

I could tell you that the land it sits on happens to be worth more than the house itself, but unfortunately this makes most people’s mouths water. It’s exactly what they want to hear as they bring in bulldozers and envision building their brand new McMansion.

Replacing the old and classic with something new is not only not conscious or sustainable, but in the case of historic architecture it’s simply sacrilege. Despite this, or possibly because of it, it will take a special buyer to save this special house. Preserving and restoring a classic piece of mid-century modern design requires a significant commitment – of money, resources and values. I sincerely hope someone steps up before June.

For more information, the Lassiter House is listed with Modern Charlotte Realty for $785,000.

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Portland is considered one of the greenest cities and is fast becoming a major player in sustainable fashion, food and culture. But did you know that Portland has historic architecture? It’s true. The famous “Made in Oregon” sign (image above) sits atop the historic White Stag building, built in 1907.

Portland also has people more interested in renovating and restoring the old rather than tearing down and building new. A winning combination.

So when the University of Oregon needed to develop a satellite campus, it chose to renovate the three commercial buildings known as the White Stag Block. Located in Old Town (also known as Portland’s Skidmore District), the buildings – Bickel (image above before renovation), Skidmore and White Stag – formerly housed a china importer, logging machinery company and an outdoor supply company. But after years of sitting unused, all three were in very bad shape, as was the entire neighborhood.

The project of unifying and updating all three building on the inside, yet respecting and embracing the architectural elements on the outside was a daunting one. Significant parts of the facades were missing; one of the buildings had major fire damage; every system was outdated and in disrepair.

But the developers and investors focused on the goal of retaining the separate identities of each space while adhering to LEED-certified standards. During construction they used materials from within 500 miles of the site and 95% of the waste created was recycled or reused.

Other green technologies and elements utilized include: energy efficient heating and cooling systems; non-toxic and sustainable paints, carpets, sealants and woods; low-flow fixtures and a rainwater harvesting system that reduces city water usage by up to 86%; roof insulation; solar energy cells; high-performance windows and weather-proofing all the historic windows (image below).

The result is one of the few buildings in the U.S. that is both on the National Register of Historic Places and Gold LEED-certified. The White Stag Block has also been recognized with a 2010 National Preservation Award. Stephanie Meeks, president of National Trust for Historic Preservation:

“The restoration of the White Stag Block is a triumph in every sense of the word. Long-neglected buildings have become vibrant showplaces, and a formerly rundown neighborhood is a model of preservation, sustainability and community rebirth. What better lesson could a university teach?”

Today the White Stag Block houses the University of Oregon bookstore (The Duck Store), numerous University classrooms (image above), as well as other businesses and special events. It has succeeded in bringing some life back to the historic Old Town neighborhood as well as showcasing advances in green technology.

Images: Dan Haneckow, thrift store cowboy, Fai C, daddio 2 five.

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We talk about it a lot here at EcoSalon. Conscious choices. Mindful decisions. The easiest way to make a difference and effect change in the world is to live consciously and mindfully. To try to be aware of what we buy, how (or if) we drive, where we shop, what we eat.

If we’re present in the moment we usually choose better. It’s that simple.

Why am I taking you around and through this rigmarole of spiritual stuff when I should be talking about design? Just stay with me.

I believe people have stopped paying attention. It’s far easier to answer the cell phone or check the GPS or update the Facebook status or plan what to eat for dinner. Living in the now requires discipline.

Living in the now forces us to look around, to respect the past and honor the future. And yes, this definitely is relevant to design.

If you have, in fact, been paying attention, you will know that endless rows of tract homes and giant McMansions have been popping up all over the country over the past decade or two. In order to make room for more of them, many valuable and historically and architecturally significant homes are being demolished.

Tragic, and tragically unsustainable.

People want bigger and newer, at the expense of beautiful and perfectly livable. It’s too much to fathom.

With each historic home that is torn down and replaced by a new McMansion, neighborhoods lose more of their character as well as their affordability. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has found that “more than 500 communities in 40 states are experiencing significant numbers of teardowns, and that number is climbing fast.”

Richard Moe, former president of the National Trust, said:

“From 19th-century Victorian to 1920s bungalows, the architecture of America’s historic neighborhoods reflects the character of our communities. Teardowns radically change the fabric of a community. Without proper safeguards, historic neighborhoods will lose the identities that drew residents to put down roots in the first place.”

But neighborhoods are fighting back in an attempt to increase public awareness.

The town of New Canaan, Connecticut began its quest back in 2007 when a home designed by Modernist architect Paul Rudolph (image above) was destroyed after a judge decided “he could find nothing to support the contention that the house had special significance.”

Huh? This conclusion concerned a group of local conservationists so much that they launched the Modern Homes Survey “to provide a more complete study of Modern residences in New Canaan and serve as a national model for surveys of other mid-century houses in the United States.”

The survey found that this conservative New England town happens to be home to 91 Modernist homes built between 1946 and 1979, including of course, the Philip Johnson Glass House (image above) which is already a National Trust Historic Site.

Recently 18 of the New Canaan Modernist residences were added to the State and/or National Register of Historic Places, the nationally recognized list of places in the United States worthy of preservation. Considered a serious success, the hope is that other states will follow suit and research the history of their own buildings.

Alicia Leuba, Director of Programs for the Northeast Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, says of the accomplishment:

“With its unique and substantial collection of Modern homes now nationally recognized as historically significant, Connecticut is blazing a path for other states to follow.”

Although knowledge of the value and beauty of Modernist architecture is spreading, the demolitions continue. The only other antidote to this type of tragedy is public awareness.

Are you paying attention?

Images: Don Hankins, Mod Remod

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