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.

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.