

George Smart aka Mr. Modernism!
National Keynote: The Accidental Archivist
NC Keynote: Mayberry Modernism
George Smart HAIA is founder and CEO of USModernist®, the world's largest nonprofit educational archive dedicated to the documentation, preservation, and promotion of Modernist residential design. He is a passionate advocate for modernism and has been instrumental in raising awareness of the importance of this architectural movement. He is a frequent speaker on the topic and his work has helped to change the way people think about modernism.
Modernist design is characterized by features such as combining traditionally separate common areas (like the living room and the dining room, for example), open interior floor plans with vaulted ceilings, large and numerous windows, flat or low pitch roofs, long exposed beams, extensive use of glass to bring in natural light, and unusual geometric forms. Early Modernist architects wanted to change the way people lived by making houses and objects more affordable through better materials, streamlined building, and family connectivity. Gone were formal living and dining rooms - instead, there was a large family space where kitchen, dining, and living rooms flow into each other - and smaller private bedrooms. More than anything, Modernism creates feelings of optimism - a better, brighter future than the past.
George's audiences include: AIA National Conference 2023 2022 2016 * Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation * Modernism Week 2023 2018 2014 * Architecture Sarasota * WestEdge LA * NY School of Interior Design 2023 2022 2018 2017 * Columbia Design League * AIA Foundation * Charlotte History Museum * Modern Richmond * Rhode Island State Preservation Conference * NC State College of Design * Branch Museum * Gregg Museum * AIA North Carolina * Preservation NC * ASLA North Carolina * National Trust for Historic Preservation
America's mid-century Modernist
architects and their original clients are almost all
dead; their houses have been sold several times; and the
local real estate community would just as soon market
teardowns as find new, caring owners. Despite many
Modernist houses aging over the 50-year mark, city
councils and preservation groups have a hard time
considering Modernist houses to be historic - because 50
years later many still look like the future. With bulldozers continuing to destroy mid-century Modernist houses
(like Marcel Breuer’s Geller House in 2022), these livable works of
art continue to be threatened by rising land prices and
disinterested heirs. Preservation is more important than ever, but you
can’t save something if you don’t know where it is and
why it is important.
If you’re a Modernist fan in many towns and smaller
cities, you may have asked: hasn't somebody documented the
Modernist houses? Surely some architect or preservation
society or library has a list? Likely, no. To address this, USModernist’s intrepid team of
nonprofit staff and volunteers document over 120 major 20th century architects
and over
20,000 Modernist houses. In addition, the
USModernist Library has scanned over
4.1 million pages of
architecture magazines going back over 130 years. George and USModernist have won 18 honors for
leadership in preservation, inculdint national
AIA Institute Honors for Collaborative and Professional
Achievement.
As host of the long-running podcast
USModernist Radio,
named by DWELL as the #2 architecture and design podcast,
and by Atomic Ranch as #1, George informs, entertains, and inspires audiences to engage
preservation and keep the bulldozers away.
George shares the story of how
an energetic and dedicated team of
volunteers documented thousands Modernist houses across
America. George takes The Accidental Archivist on the road to design
audiences, architecture conferences, museums, libraries, preservation organizations, and real estate associations across America. George is
also available for panels (as participant or moderator). He is @mr.modernism on Instagram.
High-res photos:
tux,
jacket,
Palm Springs,
sweater. To book, call 919.740.8407 or
george@usmodernist.org.
Learning Objectives for CE Groups
Participants learn how thousands of significant Modernist houses were documented and made available to the public online, many for the first time.
Participants identify the beginnings of residential Modernist design as part of a national movement.
Participants learn key differences between Modernist and contemporary architecture.
Participants learn the key architects and influencers in national Modernism.
Participants learn marketing methods to preserve mid-century Modernist houses through preservation, occupancy, and sustainable development strategies.
Participants discover how documenting, preserving, and promoting residential Modernist design benefits the architecture and construction industries.
Participants learn key differences between selling a traditional house and selling a Modernist house.
Participants gain free access to a digital archive of over 30,000 photos of over 15,000 Modernist houses, along with profiles on 400+ architects.
Participants learn how USModernist became the country's largest open digital archive for Modernist houses and a recognized leader in Modernist preservation with 18 local, state, and national awards.