McAdams House
The 1954 McAdams House is a Modernist-influenced Ranch designed by Raleigh architect Leif Valand. Valand came to Raleigh in the 1940s to design the mixed-use Cameron Village development, which included the shopping center, office buildings, and housing. He stayed, establishing a firm that nurtured young designers. Unlike many local architects of the period, Valand was not associated with the Modernist-focused School of Design at North Carolina State University, and his practice was more client-focused than academically inclined. As this house demonstrates, his typical aesthetic incorporated horizontality, ashlar stone accents, and a broad, living room hearth into practical forms like the eminently livable Ranch house type. Private residence.
Date: 1954