How NC State Shaped Mid-Century Modernism in North Carolina

If you've ever admired the clean lines, open plans, and natural integration of a mid-century modern home in North Carolina, there's a good chance its design DNA can be traced back to NC State University’s School of Design.

A Radical New Approach: The Birth of the School of Design

In 1948, NC State hired architect Henry Kamphoefner to launch its School of Design (now the College of Design). Kamphoefner, influenced by European modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic principles, attracted a faculty of forward-thinking architects who brought modernist ideals into the heart of the American South.

Faculty members included:

  • George Matsumoto – Known for his elegant modern homes, especially around Raleigh and Chapel Hill.

  • Eduardo Catalano – Famous for his iconic "Catalano House" (with its dramatic hyperbolic paraboloid roof).

  • James Fitzgibbon and Terry Waugh – Architects and teachers who integrated climate-sensitive and regionally responsive design.

These designers didn't just teach—they designed homes, public buildings, and urban plans throughout the state, seeding North Carolina with one of the most impressive concentrations of modernist architecture in the country.

The Raleigh Effect: A City Transformed

Because many faculty and graduates stayed local, Raleigh became a hub of modernist innovation. Suburbs like Ridgewood, Drewry Hills, and Budleigh are dotted with homes designed by School of Design faculty and students. These houses emphasized:

  • Open floor plans

  • Large expanses of glass

  • Flat or low-pitched roofs

  • Seamless indoor-outdoor connections

Even today, NCModernist.org (the nation’s largest archive of modernist houses) is based in Durham and documents hundreds of these homes—many designed by NC State alumni or professors.

A Lasting Legacy

NC State’s influence didn’t stop in the 1950s and '60s. Its graduates continued to design forward-thinking buildings across the Southeast and beyond. The School of Design also helped normalize modernist principles in a region previously dominated by traditional Southern architecture.

Today, as mid-century design enjoys a revival, NC State’s architectural legacy continues to be studied, preserved, and celebrated by historians, architects, and homeowners alike.

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Where to Find Mid-Century Homes & Tours in the Triangle