On Sept. 5, 1934, Jon Andre Condoret was born in Algiers, Algeria, the son of artisan house painters. He went to Paris, France for university, focusing on architecture. There he would meet his wife, Joany, who eventually would help lead him to North Carolina. 

     When the Condoret’s first moved to North Carolina, Joany’s father helped Condoret get a job in Durham with Archie Royal Davis. While working with this company, Condoret gained experience on traditional homes. Although Condoret knew little English and had a very thick accent, he prospered in the world of North Carolina architecture. Later, Condoret worked for City Planning and Architectural Associates. However, his most unique and noteworthy projects would not appear until Condoret left the company to start his own in the 1970s. 

     Condoret’s individual work combined North Carolina modernist architecture with the European sensibility he learned and cultivated while in Paris. His projects throughout Durham, Chapel Hill and Chatham County attracted the eyes of professionals at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.

     Condoret is uniquely remembered for drawing upside down for clients across the table - amazing many of his clientele. 

     The Condorets moved quite a lot throughout their life; however, Condoret and his wife’s favorite place to live was their 140-acre farm in Siler City. Their farm house in Siler City was designed by Condoret and was surrounded by many livestock and farm animals. 

     One of Condoret’s most noteworthy projects is the creation of Fearrington Village. For many years, Condoret worked under R.B. Fitch as Chief Architect of Fearrington Village. The designs Condoret created for this project drew national acclaim. 

     In their older years, Joany and Condoret moved into a home Condoret designed in Fearrington Village. After the move, the Condorets donated 84-acres of their Siler City farm to the Triangle Land Conservancy, a non-profit agency working to conserve natural land within the Triangle.

     On Aug. 8, 2010, Condoret passed away in his Fearrington Village home; however, the term “Jon Condoret designed home” will not soon be forgotten in the Triangle housing market.