Triangle Modernist Houses.com Announces The George Matsumoto Prize - Calls For Entries

Online, May 11, 2012 (Newswire.com) - George Smart, Executive Director of Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH), today announced the inaugural George Matsumoto Prize, a unique architecture competition to recognize recent achievement in North Carolina Modernist residential design. TMH is an award-winning, non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving and promoting Modernist architecture.

The Prize is named for George Matsumoto, FAIA, one of the founding faculty members of the North Carolina State University School of Design (now College of Design), internationally known for his mid-century Modernist houses in North Carolina and elsewhere. Matsumoto will serve as Honorary Chair on the jury of well-recognized architects, including Frank Harmon, FAIA, (Chair), MarlonBlackwell, FAIA, David Jameson, FAIA, Tom Kundig, FAIA, and Larry Scarpa, FAIA.

"George Matsumoto was the preeminent Modernist designer in North Carolina in the 1950s," said jury chair Frank Harmon. "As he made a lasting impression through his buildings and his influence on a generation of students, it is appropriate to honor him through this design awards program as a means of continuing his legacy of good modern design."

The George Matsumoto Prize is unique among design competitions for four reasons:

1. The Matsumoto Prize is open to both architects and designers anywhere in the world who have designed houses built in North Carolina since 2006.

2. To encourage participation while recognizing the expense of preparing submissions, winners of the Matsumoto Prize receive honors of $3000, $2000, and $1000, respectively.

3. For the first time ever in a North Carolina design competition, the public will participate as a juror, voting for their favorite houses. The public's three favorites will receive a special certificate.

4. The Matsumoto Prize is transparent - submitters identify themselves and their firms.

TMH's objectives in creating the Matsumoto Prize are "to expand the public's awareness about the great inventory of North Carolina Modernist houses, to showcase the skills of the North Carolina residential design community, and to inform the public that great design can be well within a homebuyer's reach," said George Smart.

"These entries will inspire people dreaming of a Modernist house to know Modernist design is affordable, efficient, sustainable, and most importantly, a house their families will love decades," he added. "By using an architect or designer, you can have a house, or you can have a great house, for the same budget."

Competition rules, submission procedures, and deadlines are available online at www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/prize.htm.

About Triangle Modernist Houses: Triangle Modernist Houses (TMH) is an award-winning 501C3 nonprofit established in 2007 dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential design. The award-winning website is the largest open digital archive for Modernist residential design in America. TMH also hosts popular house tours and trips several times a year. For more information: www.trianglemodernisthouses.com. TMH also maintains an active community on Facebook.