Rake and Hoe Utility Building
Raleigh, North Carolina
1988
Frank Harmon and Eppi Pazienza
The owner of a flourishing garden center in Raleigh, NC, needed a storage facility on site for hay bales, seed bags, fertilizer, and to store an array of garden furniture. He also wanted the option of converting a second level in the building into office space in the future.
Zoning limitations in this mostly residential setting demanded that the new facility be constructed of wood. We used this to our advantage by designing a simple horizontal structure composed of common materials — built-up columns, glue-laminated beams, plywood, concrete flooring, and a metal roof — put together in a straightforward fashion. Light bollards provide a glowing, well-lit work area. Construction was completed in just three weeks.
Despite — or as a result of — the building’s simplicity, it received regional and national accolades. In 1988, it was chosen by Time magazine as one of the “Ten Best Buildings” of the year. It is also a genial neighbor to the neighborhoods nearby.
AWARDS
1988 Time Magazine's Ten Best Buildings Award
1988 AIA NC Honor Award
1989 Spectator Magazine's Triangle Architecture Awards, Honor Award