Modern Love: Alumni Designs on Display to Support Future Terp Architects

Oct 9, 2019

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Garrett Park house by alum Tom Wheeler
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Takoma Park home by McInturff Architects

D.C.’s Modern Home Tour showcases MAPP Alumni, with proceeds benefiting UMD’s AIAS

They’re striking. Distinctly modern. They are the neighborhood homes that stop traffic. And last weekend, eight of them—including two designed by UMD alums—opened their doors for intimate tours with the architects who designed them. The 2019 DC Metro Modern Home Tour showcased some of D.C.’s award-winning modern residences, with an altruistic twist: ticket proceeds support the aspiring architects of UMD’s American Institute of Architects Student Association (AIAS).

Sponsored by the Modern Architecture + Design Society (MA+DS) and listModern, the tour included a color-block modern renovation in Takoma Park, inspired by Richard Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park paintings and designed by alums Mark McInturff (B. ARCH ’72) and Colleen Healey (B.S. ARCH ’04, M. ARCH ’06, McInturff Architects). An accessible enclave in Garrett Park, featuring and an open plan and universal design by Tom Wheeler (M. ARCH ’91, Cox Graae + Spack) was another popular tour destination. The tour’s last stop was a home by boutique shop MCD studio, featuring work by M.ARCH student (and MCD architecture associate) Heather Summers.

This is the second year that MA+DS, who runs modern home tours in major cities in the U.S. and Canada throughout the year, has selected UMD AIAS as their beneficiary. MA+DS partners with a school or design organization in each tour stop, and recruits students to act as docents the day of the tour.

“We view it as a win-win,” said Kenneth Shallcross, vice president at MA+DS. “The idea is to build relationships and synergy with our partners, like the University of Maryland, by getting them involved. We need logistics people, and the students get to spend the day with an amazing designer.”

Ticket proceeds from the tour will help UMD’s AIAS finance opportunities and events for students.

See more photos from the tour here.