Leif Valand, a prominent Raleigh architect, was born in Norway and came to Jersey City, NY, as a boy. He attended the Pratt Institute in New York City and practiced structure in Scarsdale, NY. He moved to Raleigh in the past due 1940s to layout the Cameron Village Shopping Center for builders J. Willie York and R. A. Bryan. Even through present-day standards, the vision changed into large, comprising 65 shops, 112 workplaces, 566 condominium gadgets, and one hundred personal homes.
During his heyday, he became one of Raleigh’s most prolific architects. With only a few personnel, his extensive contacts with Raleigh’s business and real property elite won terrific commissions. Cameron Village Shopping Center turned into just the beginning.
Leif Valand later got here Cameron Village Office Buildings, Cameron Village Apartments (St. Mary’s, Smallwood, Nichols, Daniels), Enloe High School, The Federal Building on New Bern Avenue, North Ridge Country Club, North Hills Shopping Center, the Central Raleigh YMCA, the Velvet Cloak Hotel, the State Administration Building, the Raleigh Women’s Club, and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church.
In 1969, Valand took on a companion, Nelson Benzing. Eventually, Valand became very unwell and retired. Due to this and a flawed financial system, Benzing closed the organization. A few of his facts still need to be discovered. According to Benzing, Valand’s executors had lost his blueprints.
Valand, his wife Wymene, and their three sons lived in a 1952 residence at 706 Woodburn Road, Raleigh, designed by Charles Davis of Cooper Haskins. Valand could later adapt the one-degree residence for his wheelchair. Justine Rozier bought that house in 1989. There are 2200 rectangular toes beneath.