The North Carolina Buildings Collection includes drawings, specifications, construction contracts, and correspondence relating to individual buildings in North Carolina. Unbuilt projects are included. The finding aid contains a description for each project, including the name of the architect(s), a brief description of the project, ...
MoreThe North Carolina Buildings Collection includes drawings, specifications, construction contracts, and correspondence relating to individual buildings in North Carolina. Unbuilt projects are included. The finding aid contains a description for each project, including the name of the architect(s), a brief description of the project, and an inventory of documents. Projects are arranged by type of building. The late 19th century saw radical changes in building practices in North Carolina, brought about by the rise of professional architects and contractors, increased industrialization, and the standardization of building components. Population booms between 1900 and 1940 precipitated increased construction, and suburbs emerged where major cities doubled or tripled their populations during this period. Increasingly, professional architects were responsible for the design of housing, as well as commercial, industrial and civic buildings. In 1905, North Carolina became one of the earliest states to enact a uniform building code. The North Carolina Architectural Association (NCAA) was formed by a group of Charlotte architects in 1909. Their aims were ultimately to form a North Carolina Chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and to promote the passage of an architectural Practice Act Bill in the General Assembly. The North Carolina Chapter of AIA, chartered in 1913, regulated fees to eliminate unfair competition and provided a code of ethics for professional standards. The Practice Act Bill, ratified in 1915, provided for the examination and licensing of architects. A similar "Act to Regulate the Practice of General Contracting," passed in 1925, regulated the construction industry. Regulation of architectural and building industries led to increased uniformity in working drawings and specifications for buildings, as national industry standards for drafting and construction were followed. Still largely rural and conservative following World War II, North Carolina nevertheless made rapid economic and architectural progress. The 1950s found the state on the cutting edge of architectural development, as the internationally renowned faculty of the School of Design at North Carolina State College vigorously promoted modernism as the only "correct" style. Modernism was embraced for governmental and institutional buildings, while housing remained, for the most part, rooted in traditional forms.
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