penland school of arts & crafts...

location: Penland, North Carolina
completion date: 2000
project team:
Frank Harmon
Charles Holden
Vincent Petrarca

problem statement

The director of this Appalachian-based school of crafts asked us to design a blacksmith’s studio with as much space and natural light as possible within a $480,000 budget.  She wanted the building to embody the spirit of craft-making by clearly revealing how it was made.  Classes of twelve students would use the facility to create pieces ranging from a delicate iron teaspoon to a five-ton steel sculpture.

our design response

The rolling, wooded site is nestled among the Roan and Black Mountains.  To minimize the impact on the site, we designed a long, thin building composed of simple, durable materials: steel, concrete block, glass block, and polycarbonate glazing.  A bridge crane runs along the building’s central axis.  Twelve coal-fired forges occupy the perimeter of the voluminous workspace.  Six stainless steel flues vent forge smoke through the corrugated iron roof where a ridge skylight fills the studio with light.  Roll-up doors open the interior to the surrounding mountains.  Two decks and a large, south-facing porch provide outdoor workspaces.  And every object in the building shows the marks of its makers’ hands: every bolt, weld, and other evidence of construction are exposed, thereby honoring the spirit of craftsmanship. Many visitors to the Iron Studio have mentioned that it reminds them of a cathedral.

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