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We are delighted to share this beauty that has been months in the making. With a vision of elegance, true craft and timelessness, this design called all hands to the deck. Our clients, the contractor and design team all worked together to create this special gathering place. Made of 126 sf custom pre-cast concrete panels, this fireplace features a floating hearth and built-in firewood storage. … Many thanks to the

This newly completed project includes a primary suite (currently being used as a music room), screen porch and garage. This one story addition offers a welcoming, yet private secondary entrance. Generous natural light and warm toned wood floors impart subtle elegance and ease. … Notice that each room offers a unique ceiling form and light condition; skylights at the foyer, tray ceiling at the music room, and a vaulted ceiling

We are currently designing an artist’s mountain sanctuary. The studio is phase 2 of our collaboration, as our client’s new home construction on the same site has recently been completed. The form of this studio and the proposed materials, such as vertical cedar siding, echo that of the main house. … Northwest facing windows capture views of the natural landscape for inspiration and desirable ambient daylighting. Plenty of storage space

A custom stained glass piece designed, created, and installed by one of our talented designers, Cassidy Putnam, for a recently completed home addition designed by GGA. Our clients fell in love with Cassidy’s work featured on last year’s Christmas card and commissioned this lovely piece for their new space. … This transom window faces south; soft, calming light illuminates the space all day long. Cassidy plans to continue her craft

Jonesville, NC … This off-the-grid home is getting its finishing touches! Located on 150 acres in the North Carolina foothills, this contemporary home’s wood cladding, sculptural rain-chains and beautifully framed views connect this home to its idyllic surrounds and reflect the artistic nature of its owners. To honor and protect the natural beauty of the site, our clients opted for an off-the-grid home powered by solar panels lining the south-facing

What an honor to have clients return to our firm for a second phase! This time our clients sought to improve their existing space for gracious entertaining and access to natural light. This interior kitchen sparks joy for residents and guests alike. Custom designed floating shelves visually connect the kitchen and foyer, while maintaining the integrity of each space. A skylight directly above this intersection allows for ample natural light

  Construction currently underway! Located in the North Carolina Mountains on a beautiful 150 acre site with impeccable views, this home is a reflection of the artistic owners and a celebration of the natural splendor of the region. This residence has been designed for energy efficiency and off-the-grid independence. Solar panels will line the south-facing roofs and power the well, electric fence and all the comforts of home. A rain

  Nestled into a steep hillside, this lakeside dwelling will provide expansive and intimate views of the surrounding lake. Our clients will occasionally approach their home via helicopter. This method of approach poses a unique set of design considerations. The sky is the limit! With no crawl space or attic, we are planning the heating and cooling systems early in the design process to ensure efficient functioning and comfortable living

We are pleased to share with you a recent honor. Georgia Bizios, principal emerita at Grant Bizios Architecture, has received recognition as a featured designer in the AIANC print publication, Say It Loud.  In addition, a virtual Say It Loud exhibition was launched in May of 2021 and features four local projects by Georgia Bizios. CLICK HERE to view the virtual exhibition. Hosted locally by the North Carolina National Organization

  Can your kitchen double as a dance studio? We’re not advocating gigantic kitchens, but many dancers around the world are using their kitchens to take virtual dance classes. Counters make great barres! Katie has done some teaching from her kitchen, and, in fact, GBA actually designed a  kitchen addition for the family of one of her dancers that is now in service as a training studio. Give it a

    The Ballet School of Chapel Hill is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The studio is very dear to our colleague, Katie, who began training there in 1981 and is now a partner and faculty member. Read more about the founding of this community institution as recently published in Chapel Hill magazine (July 2020). We also feel very fortunate to have Katie here in our office to talk

                      We are delighted to bring to your attention the recent publication Triangle Modern Architecture, a book by our friend and colleague Victoria Ballard Bell.  In addition to a comprehensive review of the roots and cultural significance of modern architecture in the Triangle, the book includes the biographies and examples of work by architects since the 1940’s, as well as work

  Our Screen Porch Paradise has been featured in both the Durham and Chapel Hill Magazine! We feel fortunate to have had clients with big plans of living their best outdoor lives. Their house falls near the county border, which means both communities can claim this cool house. Read about it in the Durham Magazine (page 72) and Chapel Hill Magazine (page 70).

This person has been with us for quite some time, over 4 years to be exact, and she is kind of a perfect as a person and as a professional. If you would like to know a bit about her, she is an expert of all local codes in the triangle, she definitely knows it all and if you have any questions on any ordinance, Jocelyn has the answer. Jocelyn,

  Great things have happened at GBA these couple of months amid the pandemic. We have been named Best of Durham 2020 in the architect category and we are completely honored.  This year has also been GBA’s one-year anniversary. Stay tuned for our other good news! Check us out Durham Magazine’s for more of Best of Durham 2020!

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we offer you a small gallery of autumnal paintings by Brian. Wishing you a wonderful holiday!  

It is a wonderful honor to get a call from a past client asking us to return to their home for another project, a second phase, or the next dream renovation. As needs and lifestyles change, so must our houses. In the Hillsborough Residence Revisited, we added a luxurious master suite and accessible bathroom to a house we had designed many years before. The result is a gracious and comfortable

Can you feel it? One step outside is all you need to know that a full-swing Carolina summer is here and she has made herself comfortable. While the sticky, sweltering temperatures of the season may not be everybody’s glass of sweet tea, we can all agree that nothing beats a screened porch for enjoying the summer landscapes. This is hardly a new trend; North Carolina’s architectural history is punctuated with

Many of our clients are turning to geothermal heat pumps, harnessing stable subterranean temperatures to heat and cool their homes. The systems are desirable for their energy efficiency, comfort, quiet, low-maintenance, and low operating costs. Some systems also assist with domestic water heating. Although geothermal costs more than conventional systems upfront, the benefits and energy savings are well-documented and the pay back on the initial investment is often a good

Determining a realistic budget for your new home or renovation can be a complicated task. At Bizios Architect, we use a budgeting spreadsheet much like the one described in architect Robert Knight’s article, “How Big Is a Square Foot?” Additionally, we encourage our clients to hire a contractor early in the design process to keep you informed of costs. We would be happy to talk to you about our design

Some of you may have heard about the ambitious fundraising efforts spearheaded by Durham architect Phil Freelon and his wife jazz singer Nneena Freelon in support of the Duke ALS Clinic. In honor of Phil, the Fellows of the NC AIA recently organized a silent art auction called, “Art by Architects for a World without ALS.” Georgia was proud to serve on the organizing committee and Georgia, Brian, and Jocelyn

It’s been an exciting few months at Bizios Architect with several projects finishing up – major renovations in Durham, Hillsborough, and Chapel Hill and new houses in Orange County and Winston-Salem. While we’re busy getting them fully photographed, here are some sneak peeks. Photo by Owner Photo by Marilyn Peryer Photo by Bizios Architect   Save Save

Celebrating its 20th season, the Chapel Hill Dance Theater will present the Carnival of the Animals and a Suite of NC Dances this weekend, Saturday, February 13 at 3pm and 7pm and Sunday, February 14th at 3pm, at Chapel Hill High School. Our own Katie Wakeford is a member of the artistic staff and choreographer of Fair Ladies’ Fancy, set to a medley of bluegrass music. Read more about the

We are proud to announce that Georgia received an AIA/ACSA Practice and Leadership Award. This award discovers and recognizes “best practice” examples of highly effective teaching, scholarship, and outreach in the areas of professional practice and leadership. – See more at: http://www.acsa-arch.org/…/awa…/archives/2016-award-winners… or https://www.facebook.com/NCStateDesign.

On a beautiful sunny afternoon in late November, Jennifer and Victor Chen held a reception for friends of Preservation Chapel Hill at their recently renovated Arthur C. Nash House on South Boundary Street. Bizios Architect is pleased to have served as architectural consultants to the Chens on the building’s renovation/preservation. We welcomed the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful home in the winter afternoon light along with so many Nash enthusiasts.

We are delighted to be working on the Hillsborough Residence again, a house we designed and was constructed in 2000.  The owners love their house and decided to renovate and add in order to create a fully accessible house.  It is a pleasure to work again as a team with our clients and Hopper Construction.  We will keep you posted as construction begins.

The Meadow View owners have enjoyed four seasons in their new home.  The long summer days gave us an opportunity to visit and experience it in the evening glow. We invited R.C. Abbasi to shoot some photographs and have added them to our web site.  Take a look, we think you will enjoy the magic of the building in the summer dusk.

Recently released in its third printing, Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism is co-edited by Bizios Architect’s own Katie Wakeford. Hope you’ll check it out! From publisher Metropolis Books: “Expanding Architecture presents a new generation of creative design carried out in the service of the greater public and the greater good. Questioning how design can improve daily lives, editors Bryan Bell and Katie Wakeford map an emerging geography of architectural activism–or “public-interest

The Blondes vs. Brunettes Raleigh is a local volunteer-driven event where two teams of women – divided to reflect the age-old rivalry between blondes and brunettes – compete in a flag football game to help raise awareness and funds in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.  The two teams practice for 10 weeks for one big Saturday game, where hundreds of supporters come out to watch competitive football and support a

As memories of the winter 2015 snow fade, the owners of the Meadow View Residence enjoy beautiful sunsets through many of the house windows.  It is still too cool to enjoy sunsets from the surrounding porches and patios, but not for long as spring is around the corner.  Check back soon for more beautiful views. Photos: Victoria Taub  

Enjoy a fantastic company of local dancers in the upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland, February 28 and March 1 at Chapel Hill High School. Our own Katie Wakeford is one of the choreographers and a member of Chapel Hill Dance Theater’s artistic staff. (Photo by Mark Schultz, News & Observer)    

  Architects often joke that many of us started our practices by doing “garage addition” projects.  At Bizios Architect we love the opportunities and challenges that such projects present.  We have recently completed two additions/renovations that involved improving the quality of life in existing houses by “raising the roof” of the existing garages and adding useful, well-integrated spacious rooms filled with light. Inspiration comes from J.B. Jackson, a provocative essayist

Scientific research and built examples demonstrate how properly closed crawl spaces can provide much better moisture control than conventional, wall-vented crawl spaces in temperate-humid climates.  Homes with closed crawl spaces–often called “sealed,” “unvented,” or “conditioned” crawl spaces–also can save significantly on energy when compared to homes with wall-vented crawl spaces. (advancedenergy.org) Bizios Architect has been designing homes with sealed crawl spaces for years. The images below illustrate crawl spaces we

Bizios Architect is proud to serve as a design consultant for a major renovation of the historic Nash House, located in the Battle Park Neighborhood in Chapel Hill.  The Nash House was featured on the Preservation Chapel Hill Holiday House Tour in December.  The house was originally designed by Arthur C. Nash who is known for his prominent work in Chapel Hill, in particular the Carolina Inn and a 1920

Durham, USA, January 20, 2015 – Bizios Architect of Durham, North Carolina has been awarded “Best Of Houzz for Design” by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design ideas. The award winning architecture firm was chosen by Houzz users from among more than 500,000 active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals. “We at Bizios Architect are devoted to creating value for our clients through personalized, high caliber

Three diverse projects are under construction notwithstanding the winter weather.   Orange County Residence: Contractor: Owner     Halifax County Residence & Dog Training Facility: Contractor: Carolina Building Systems, John Jenkins Project Manager  Photographs courtesy of John Jenkins     Chapel Hill Residence Addition: Contractor: D.W. Roberts Construction

Wishing you happy holidays from everyone here at Bizios Architect! -Georgia, Brian, Katie, Nancy, Emmie, Julio & Jonas   Greek Isles (2014) Quilt by Nancy Jenkins Partial View, Original Size 6’x6′ Photograph by John Jenkins

An important and enjoyable aspect of our work is giving new life to existing houses. Summer of 2014 was a time for new beginnings for two of our favorite families and their homes.  Bizios Architect designed the renovations of both Chapel Hill Residences. The owners of the “Sycamore House” needed to move and put their beloved home on the market.  It sold within a month and now another family is

With grateful good wishes to our friends, clients, and collaborators, we hope you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday. – The Bizios Team   Photo courtesy of Harriet Holderness

Georgia Bizios often uses cabin design as a building type to teach students about designing for human experience responding to site characteristics.  The work of one of the studios was featured on page 35 in the Spring 2014 Issue of Design Life, a publication of the NC State University College of Design. To read more: http://issuu.com/designislife/docs/designlife_winter2014

The Colonial Dames Scholarship at the University of Minnesota supports international exchanges and brings added cultural diversity to the university.  Since the 1950’s, the scholarship has helped more than 800 students from 90 countries, providing over a half million dollars in support.  Georgia Bizios was featured in a recent publication of former recipients of the scholarship that highlights their accomplishments and careers.  See the content of the publication below (click

Check out the Haw River Retreat that was featured in the June 2014 Issue of Cabin Life Magazine.  See the digital issue online at http://www.cabinlife.com/. Photo: © Mike Mills

Katie Wakeford enjoyed a recent opportunity to visit the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Department of Interior Architecture where she serves on the Board of Advisors. In 2014, the department launched the Center for Community-Engaged Design. As their website describes, “The Center for Community-Engaged Design is an interdisciplinary research center that fosters community/university partnerships for meaningful research and design of the built and natural environments…CC-ED collaborates with community partners,

Brian had the unique educational opportunity to visit the Marvin Window & Door Factory in Warroad, Minnesota, located six miles from the Canadian border on beautiful Lake of the Woods.  Marvin is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of custom wood window and door products. A tour of the plant gave him a first hand view of the production process from rough lumber through the moment the windows are loaded

The Bizios Architect team enjoyed a night out at the Iron & Wine concert.  The concert was part of the NC Museum of Art’s Summer Concert Series, and was extremely well-attended.  It was a beautiful night to enjoy some great music! Photos: © Bizios Architect

We’re nominated for Bull City’s Best Architecture Firm! If you wish to vote for us, go to Durham Mag’s website. Hurry: voting ends May 1st!! Click HERE to vote!    

We were happy to have Dale Mulfinger, author of Back to the Cabin, in town for the weekend.  Every seat was filled at local bookstore, FlyLeaf Books, as he spoke about the inspiration for his book.  It was a pleasure to see and visit with many friends at the reception that followed.  A perfect day and venue for thinking about designing and building good places for people to live.  Check

Georgia was pleased to participate in a recent public forum. More about it from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences web site: “Design Your World!” is a special panel presentation and discussion in the SECU Daily Planet Theater “How can design be used to shape the world’s limited resources into healthier, safer and better conditions? How does design address the critical issues that challenge your community? Come and see how

Enjoy a fantastic company of local dancers in the upcoming production of Peter Pan, February 22 and 23 at Chapel Hill High School. Our own Katie Wakeford is one of the choreographers and a member of Chapel Hill Dance Theater’s artistic staff.  For more information, check out the links below!  (Photo by Mark Schultz, News & Observer) Link to Chapel Hill News Article Link to Facebook Event February 22, 2014 Link to Facebook Event February

Happy holidays and best wishes for 2014! -Georgia, Brian, Katie, Jonas, Nancy & Emmie

We have recently joined the Houzz community! Click here to check out Bizios Architect on Houzz, and browse the slideshow below. Bizios Architect Featured on Houzz

With grateful good wishes to our friends, clients, and collaborators, we hope you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday. – The Bizios Team    

Katie continues her volunteering with Our Children’s Place, a private nonprofit agency committed to the children of incarcerated parents. Here are two ways you can get involved! Visit Parker & Otis and see the “Random Hats of Kindness” display in their Duke Street window.  Attend the upcoming “Hats Off to the Kids” Celebration at Carolina Inn on Sunday, December 1. Bizios Architect is pleased to support the event by contributing

Wonderful news, our Haw River Retreat is featured in the newly released book Back to the Cabin by Dale Mulfinger (Taunton Press, 2013). Full of charming and inspiring getaways and hideouts, the book would make a wonderful gift for anyone dreaming of designing and building a special retreat. Read a review from the Wall Street Journal or get your copy at the Taunton Store.    

The AIA NC will host three panel discussions on residential architecture at the Center for Architecture.  Georgia will be one of the presenters on Saturday November 16 at 10 a.m. on the topic of “Today’s Home: Flexible, Efficient and Connected.” To find out more details about the program go to http://www.cfadnc.org/#events. The lectures are free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you there.

Students in Georgia’s studio last semester designed cabins for specific clients and sites in North Carolina.  Their work, a competition with a University of Minnesota studio taught by Dale Mulfinger of SALA Architects, was featured in the October issue of Cabin Life Magazine.  This is the second year of the competition and the second time NC State students were selected as winning entries by the magazine’s readers. Renderings courtesy of

We are pleased to announce that the Haw River Retreat, designed by Bizios Architect, was recognized by the AIA North Carolina for design excellence. The vacation home in Pittsboro, NC received a 2013 Merit Award. We want to express our appreciation to homeowners Kitty and Jim Delany for their trust and enthusiasm during the design and construction process, and to Robert Harndon, general contractor. Check out this link to watch