At the heart of her research is a simple but powerful question: What would change if we designed with our future selves in mind?

“During a conversation with a gerontologist, she described touring retirement communities and realizing they didn’t reflect her and her husband’s interests—he still plays video games,” Mitchell says. “It raised a larger question about why we continue designing for outdated ideas of aging instead of how people actually live today.”

Supported by the James Johnson Dudley Fellowship and the Alma and Hal Reagan Research Award, Mitchell has spent the past two years visiting interdisciplinary aging-research labs across the country to explore how collaboration among design, health, engineering, and gerontology can lead to more innovative ways to supportolder adults. By challenging outdated assumptions and rethinking conventional models, she aims to influence how care, technology, and everyday experiences are designed to support independence, dignity, and meaningful connection at every stage of life.

“While aging is universal, no two people experience it the same way,” Mitchell says. “We want to understand the physical, emotional, cultural, and social changes that shape our lives so we can work toward new possibilities.”

Designing in the “Murky Middle”

Mitchell visited eight research labs at leading institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s McKenchie Family LIFE Home, a premier research center focused on smart-home technologies. These spaces bring together engineers, psychologists, and health experts to improve quality of life as we age.

Mitchell describes this work as happening in what designers sometimes call the “murky middle.” It’s the space where disciplines that do not traditionally intersect come together and where, she says, true innovation happens.

“I was on a conference call and a participant asked, ‘Why is there a graphic designer on the call?’ And I thought, well, who do you think is shaping how people interact with these systems? There is so much we gain from collaboration across disciplines if we broaden the conversation.”

During her lab visits, Mitchell saw how user testing and feedback from older adults shaped everything from lighting and layout to technology integration. She knew many people want to age in place, staying in their homes and communities as they grow older. But saw first-hand how various disciplines are working together to support different models of aging in place.

Turning Research into Resources

Recognizing a gap in how aging is represented in design, Mitchell created the website, a curated shop for aging-related research, tools, and case studies from multiple disciplines, giving designers tangible ways to rethink assumptions and apply more inclusive approaches in their work.

“It’s a digital resource hub for designers, educators, and professionals who are passionate about creating inclusive, thoughtful, and joyful experiences for aging adults,” she says.

Mitchell also created interactive workshops and a companion workbook to help designers put that research into practice. A key conversation during her research became a turning point, revealing how often the systems and experiences we design don’t reflect how people actually live as they age.

That insight led to her “Designing for Our Future Selves” workshops, where participants examine how age bias shapes design decisions, consider physical and social changes, and reflect on what it means to design for their own future selves and others.

Central to the workshops is the 6Ms framework—What Matters, Mobility, Meaningful Activities, Medication, Mealtime, and Making Comfortable—which encourages designers to think more broadly about the experience of aging. Through that lens, Mitchell says participants consider how design decisions can support comfort, independence, dignity, and connection.

“When they first come into the workshops, they often think design for aging is just about accessibility,” she says. “But once they begin thinking about how the systems and experiences they design today will shape their own future selves as they age, everything starts to shift.”

What Comes Next

Mitchell is continuing to advance her research through writing, collaboration, and speaking engagements. She is currently drafting a journal article on innovation in care environments, writing a book on the future of aging and design, and expanding the Design for Aging Resources website as a place where researchers, designers, and practitioners can share ideas and tools.

Building on this research, Mitchell has established the Design for Care Lab, an emerging lab that organizes collaborations across design, health, and engineering. The lab has been designated as an AARP AgeTech Collaborative Testbed, positioning it within a national network evaluating new technologies with older adult populations.Ěý

“As designers, we’re shaping the future and changing the way people think about aging,” she says. “And the future includes all of us, at every stage of life.”

The post Aging Reimagined appeared first on College of Architecture + Design.

The 2025 biennial received 11,845 submissions reviewed through a juried selection process led by an international panel of designers and educators representing the United States, Iran, Belarus, Taiwan, Venezuela and India.

The students’ posters will be exhibited nationally, placing their work alongside leading professional and emerging voices in contemporary poster design.

Seniors Sophia Crosby and Emma Fingeret and juniors Mary Kent Driscoll and Caroline Elliott were accepted into the , focused on the breathtaking landscapes and ecological significance of national parks. Their posters were developed as part of a second-year course led by Assistant Professor Kimberly Mitchell which focuses on typography, image-making, and visual communication.

“At this stage, students are building on foundational skills from the previous semester and beginning to integrate type and image into more cohesive, concept-driven work,” said Mitchell. “The poster project is something I’ve taught across multiple semesters, adjusting the context over time—from regional systems like the Tennessee RiverLine to broader explorations of national parks and trails.”

The project challenged students to develop original poster concepts rooted in personal experience, geographic connection, or environmental observation.

Crosby drew inspiration from a hike of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park shortly after losing her grandmother and enduring the pandemic.

“Climbing 1,500 feet over 2.5 miles—including the famous switchbacks of Walter’s Wiggles—while wearing a mask and navigating grief wasn’t easy, but it was an incredible experience,” she said. “The trail features ridges only two feet wide with chains bolted into the rock to secure you during the scramble. The specific framing I chose to illustrate was based on a photo I took of the narrow ridge and the chains guiding the way. It captures the exact spot where I thought, ‘I am really going to make it.’”

The following semester, Mitchell pivoted the brief to focus on the Great Smoky Mountains. Elliott, who grew up an hour from the park, drew inspiration from its nighttime environment.

“I’ve always kind of been fascinated with the fireflies that they have, and while that’s not really portrayed in my poster, I think that it’s a cool aspect of showing that there’s still stuff happening at night.”

Together, the selected works demonstrate a range of approaches to visual storytelling, from personal memory and endurance to regional identity and environmental observation.

For Mitchell, the recognition affirms the value of introducing ambitious, concept-driven challenges early in the curriculum.

With their posters now reaching audiences beyond the university through exhibition and publication, the students’ achievement signals not only exceptional individual accomplishment, but the growing impact of student work on the international design stage.

The post From Classroom to Biennial: Four Design Students’ Posters Reach International Audience appeared first on College of Architecture + Design.

Guerguis, who teaches design and structural technology, was recently awarded $50,000 from the , a competitive program that provides seed funding to help faculty develop and commercialize new technologies. The award will support the launch of OTTO, a startup designed to bring Guerguis’ integrated building system from research into real-world use.

“Turning research breakthroughs into real-world technologies is a key way in which we fulfill our responsibility as a land-grant university,” said Deb Crawford, vice chancellor for research, innovation, and economic development. “This initiative closes critical gaps between discovery and impact.”

Experience with Large-Scale Digital Printing

Guerguis’ research explores advanced manufacturing approaches at the building scale, including large-scale additive manufacturing as one of several methods. Using digital fabrication tools and advanced production technologies, he investigates how structures can be realized with greater precision and flexibility than traditional construction methods.

“The way we’ve built homes hasn’t changed in 140 years,” Guerguis says. “It’s slow, fragmented, and wasteful with frequent cost overruns and delays. But when we start thinking about construction as a system instead of separate pieces, we can simplify the entire process.”

His work has extended beyond the university through collaborations with and the , where he explored how advanced fabrication methods can create forms that would be difficult or even impossible to build using conventional techniques.

While no single fabrication method is suited for every project, Guerguis says the strength of these approaches lies in their flexibility and ability to support customization.

“With digital fabrication, we can move beyond standard shapes and create efficient forms that respond to structure, performance, and design all at once.”

Topology Optimization

Another aspect of Guerguis’ research focuses on topology optimization, a design approach that places material only where it is structurally needed. Using computational tools and stress analysis, he identifies where a structure carries the most load and strategically distributes material in those areas, informing more efficient building systems.

Inspired by nature’s efficiency, this approach creates lighter, stronger structures while using fewer resources. It reflects principles pioneered by , whose lightweight structural designs helped reshape modern architecture.

Topology optimization is already used in aerospace and automotive industries, where it has reduced material use by up to 40 percent. Guerguis believes similar strategies could reshape residential construction by lowering costs and improving sustainability.

“Nature is incredibly efficient,” Guerguis says. “We’re using computational tools to learn from those patterns and apply them to architecture.”

For Guerguis, efficiency isn’t just about saving materials. It’s also about improving how people live.

“Think about your everyday experience at home,” he says. “Do you have enough natural light? How is your indoor air quality? Do you feel connected to the outdoors? These aren’t luxuries, they shape how you live, work, and sleep every day.”

From Research to Market

With support from the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund, Guerguis is advancing OTTO’s core technologies, including the U-Panel, a system he has developed that is patent pending and integrates smart infrastructure directly into the building assembly.

The U-Panel includes built-in channels for electrical wiring, plumbing, and mechanical systems, serving as a building block for an integrated smart home system that allows homeowners to monitor and control lighting, HVAC, water usage, and security directly from their phones.

OTTO will also feature a digital platform where users can choose and customize key features online, creating a more personalized experience and helping bring well-designed, high-performance homes to a wider range of homeowners, from affordable housing to high-end homes.

With OTTO expected to launch in the coming months, Guerguis is focused on moving these innovations from research into real-world housing solutions and laying the groundwork for a more efficient and scalable approach to home construction.

“Home construction hasn’t fundamentally changed in decades,” he says. “But with computational design and digital fabrication, we have an opportunity to rethink how homes are made from the ground up, making them more efficient, more adaptable, and better suited to how people live today.”

The post Building the Future: Rethinking Home Construction Through Design and Technology appeared first on College of Architecture + Design.

“The graphic design program has received fairly consistent ADDY recognition over the past several years,” said Sarah Lowe, director of the ŔÖ˛Ľ´ŤĂ˝. “The professional recognition is an important acknowledgment of our program’s successes, but it more importantly highlights the phenomenal talent and skill of the students themselves.”

Sam Brott received top acknowledgement from the judges with Best of Show in the student category and a Judges’ Choice award for his cover art in the television campaign design. Brott’s graphics for season two of Nathan Fielder’s series The Rehearsal on HBO MaxĚýwere created under the constraint that all compositions be made by hand.

“The imagery visualizes the mental health pressures faced by commercial airline pilots,” he said. “Pilots operate under extreme expectations with no margin for error, while often lacking access to emotional support or appropriate medication. These systemic pressures are explored within the themes of the show and are reflected in these compositions.”

Lila Gsanger and Sam Tugman received Judges’ Choice awards for their respective designs Works and History pamphlet in the publication design category and Fizzology in the packaging category.

Gold Awards

• Integrated brand and Identity Campaign: Coastal, Delaney Kohlstedt

Silver Awards

• Out of Home: Big Ole Picnic, Kohlstedt

• Packaging: Fizzology, Tugman

• Publication Design: Critique Book, Alex Long and Ella Merkel

• Publication Design: Uneven Bars, Merkel

• Television Campaign: The Rehearsal Season 2, Brott

The local awards mark the start of a three-tier national competition. Recipients of gold awards are automatically entered into one of 15 district competitions.

This year’sĚýADDYs were judged by Raul Rios, head of strategy at Saylor; Bjorn Madrid, marketing director at YMCA of the East Valley; and Appolllo Bey, a freelance creative director.

The post Student Creativity Takes the Spotlight at the Knoxville ADDY Awards appeared first on College of Architecture + Design.

However, she could not completely shake her dream to also pursue architecture.

Although design or architecture as a career was not a foregone conclusion or aspiration at a young age, creating was always a passion.

“Growing up, I didn’t care to dress a doll, but I was intrigued with shaping its environment,” said Pitts. “I loved figuring out how to make the things that my parents weren’t guaranteed to just buy for us.”

Her decision to return and pursue the architecture degree she had long envisioned now stands as a defining chapter in her career. It’s laid the groundwork for her inclusion in the , recognizing rising professionals making an impact in their industries and communities.

Today, Pitts practices as a project architect and designer at Gensler Atlanta, leading projects in hospitality, mixed-use, residential, workplace, retail, and sports entertainment as a licensed architect and interior designer.

Confidence Forged in the Studio

Graduate school demanded more than the creativity and technical skills Pitts already possessed. It required her to challenge, reframe, and reconstruct not only the knowledge already held, but unexpectedly, how she saw herself and believed in what could be possible her potential.

“I remember looking around and thinking, ‘There’s no way I’m as talented as the people whose work is displayed on these walls,’” she said. “But I told myself, if hard work will get me there, I’ll be there or as close as I can be.”

Rooted by the mentality forged by her experiences as a Division 1 tennis student-athlete and motivated by the passion to learn and excel in the discipline, Pitts leaned in. Central to her journey and growth were multiple experiences and opportunities which she explored. An experience that Pitts noted as being one of the most pivotal was the opportunity to research and collaborate with Maged Guerguis, associate professor of design and structural technology and McCarty Holsaple McCarty Endowed Professor.

As a research assistant with Guerguis, Pitts conducted research on advanced additive robotic manufacturing processes and emerging technologies, collaborating on fabrication efforts that translated digital concepts into built prototypes. The work required precision, experimentation, and the ability to navigate unfamiliar tools and systems. She also co-authored two publications with Guerguis.

“He took the time to pour into me,” she said. “The opportunity stretched and pushed my capabilities, and his support and encouragement nurtured a belief and confidence that I perhaps would not have gained otherwise.”

That belief in herself and the lesson learned of the importance of leaning into the uncomfortable became instrumental when Pitts continued to Gensler where she has had the opportunity to participate and lead design and construction efforts on a range of project types at a variety of scales.

One of her notable professional experiences includes leading the design and construction of ZARA’s flagship store at The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas. The more than 33,000 square-foot, three-story project required balancing brand standards with architectural and construction constraints while collaborating across teams to meet complex deliverables and tight timelines.

“It was scary,” she said. “I had never led a project like that, and was new to the project scale and the project architect role, but I had a team behind me supporting and believing in me. It reminded me of the emotions and experiences that I had begun learning to embrace at UT, being challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone, but appreciating the outcome.”

From Learning To Leading

Pitts has maintained close ties to the college, returning part-time as a lecturer for the graduate level structures course. Teaching allowed her to bridge professional practice and academic instruction, sharing insights from real-world projects with current students.

“It was a lot to balance, but I absolutely loved it,” Pitts said. “I remembered being in their shoes and it meant a lot to be in a position to not only impart practical knowledge, but also explore ways of connecting theoretical or more academic concepts to practice. Aiding in their discovery, witnessing their confidence grow, and supporting them where I could was the most inspiring and fulfilling part for me beyond a doubt.”

In Atlanta, Pitts impacts the community through mentorship and volunteer work with Project Pipeline, an initiative of the National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA), and Club Ideate, an immersive design camp led by Gensler in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. She has assumed leadership roles with the local NOMA chapter and is also engaged with the greater Atlanta community through community focused work assisting on pro/low-bono project efforts focused on innovative solutions to address the affordable housing crisis in Atlanta.

For Pitts, the Volunteer 40 Under 40 recognition marks a milestone.

The decision to pursue architecture at UT wasn’t about adding another credential but aligning her career with the discipline she had always been drawn to. Now, whether she’s leading projects at Gensler or mentoring the next generation of students who will shape the future of the profession, Pitts operates from that clarity.

She chose the path she always felt called toward and built a career that reflects it.

The post Architect of Opportunity: Pitts (’22) Turned Passion into Professional Impact appeared first on College of Architecture + Design.

“It makes you step back and look at your life holistically,” she says. “Maybe you’re on the right path.”

The full-circle honor feels reminiscent of the moment she’d learned she’d been accepted into the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, almost two decades ago. Growing up in Clarksville, Tennessee, that acceptance felt life changing.

She arrived on campus as a business major with a creative heart. One step inside the Art and Architecture Building changed her Volunteer journey.

“I didn’t know at the time that interior design or architecture were programs at UT,” she said. “I walked into the building for an elective class my first year and thought ‘Oh my gosh, where am I?’”

She realized creativity wasn’t just something she loved — it could be her profession. She quickly switched her major to interior design, now known as interior architecture, in the ŔÖ˛Ľ´ŤĂ˝. Today, she leads Lauderdale, a full-service interior design firm in Knoxville, as owner and principal designer.

Building a Foundation in Uncertain Times

Although the country was facing an economic downturn while Miller studied at UT, the horror stories did not startle her job search.

“I knew there were jobs out there in this profession. I told myself that I’ve got to find as many experiences as possible so that I could be hireable when I graduate.”

She completed her degree with four internships under her belt and awards in the student EUReCA and International Interior Design Association competitions. The hands-on experience, shaped by faculty’s constructive critique and creative rigor, prepared Miller for her first position with Lauderdale out of college.

“Joy Lauderdale — the founder the company I ended up acquiring — was monumental in my career,” she said. â€ÂŮhe allowed me as a 22-year-old designer to go to design meetings and present. Her willingness to trust me in front of clients helped to leapfrog my experience.”

A few years into her career, Miller joined a consulting team that sent her to New York City to partake in Cadillac’s corporate identity rollout across the USA and global markets.

The role sharpened her business instincts. It exposed her to cross-cultural communication, large-scale rollouts and the nuance of “soft skills” — the art of reading a room, navigating unspoken expectations and leading through influence.

“It was incredible to have that kind of reach and that kind of exposure to different cultures and different ways of working,” Miller said.

But even amid the excitement, she felt a gut instinct to lead something of her own.

Returning to Rocky Top

That instinct brought Miller home to Knoxville, and eventually, to ownership of Lauderdale. Since the acquisition in late 2022, Miller has helped the company grow from two to nine full-time employees—all UT alumni—and established their guiding values of extreme ownership and the pursuit of design excellence.

Under her leadership, Lauderdale has worked across commercial, hospitality, and residential project sectors throughout the region. Among the projects she’s particularly proud of is the redesigned welcome area at the Knoxville Museum of Art, the first impression visitors receive upon entering the museum.

Another standout is the Tennessee National Clubhouse in Loudon, a concept-driven new build designed to enhance the experience of the private golf community.

While the firm’s work has earned recognition from the press to professional associations, Miller lights up most when speaking about her team’s growth.

“I love the projects where I get to see our team members shine,” she said. She credits the great work the company provides to the talented designers on Lauderdale’s team.

Investing in Future Designers

The Volunteer 40 Under 40 is not a finish line for Miller, but an affirmation. Her connection to the university did not end at graduation—it has deepened.

Today, Miller serves as a Chancellor’s Associate and as a member of the Dean’s Advocacy Board for the ŔÖ˛Ľ´ŤĂ˝. In both roles, she helps champion the university’s mission, supports strategic initiatives, and ensures the college remains closely connected to the professional world its graduates enter.

“I walk into that building even now and still feel that same curiosity and optimism,” she said. “There’s something really special about that place.”

Her involvement keeps her on the pulse of evolving design curriculum while allowing her to offer insight from the professional side of the industry. Through student reviews, mentorship, advisory conversations and informal coffee meetings, she intentionally invests in the next generation of designers.

“People poured into me,” Miller said. “It’s a duty of a leader to do the same. We have the opportunity to impact people in a positive way.”

The post From Volunteer to Visionary: Miller (’12) Designs with Purpose appeared first on College of Architecture + Design.

Davis came to UT in 1994 to be dean of the college, then known as the College of Architecture and Planning. She was the fourth-ever female dean for an architecture program in North America, and the first ever for a flagship public research university.Ěý

“From my first week at Tennessee to today, my priority has always been recruiting the best students and faculty,” said Davis. “Faculty impact our students, who become our alumni, who speak highly of our program and help us recruit more faculty and students.”Ěý

The college’s small student-to-faculty ratio meant that the impact in studios extended far beyond the Art and Architecture Building. Her plan created a ripple effect in the college, shaping both its programs and its people.Ěý

“Marleen’s deanship saw graduation and retention rates increased, new international study opportunities and a surge in faculty receiving external funding,” said Dean Jason Young. â€ÂŮhe expanded the college with the addition of the interior design program—now the School of Interior Architecture. Her tenure created impact.”Ěý

After nine years as dean, Davis returned to the faculty as a Distinguished Professor. Over the next 22 years, she juggled her academic career with professional leadership and community involvement, always focused on connecting with people.Ěý

An Early ImpactĚý

Davis grew up in Pittsburgh and received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. She earned her master’s degree in architecture at Harvard. During and immediately after her graduate school years, Davis worked for architectural firms in Atlanta; West Hartford, CT; Cambridge, MA; and Boston, and became a licensed architect.Ěý

Prior to coming to UT, Davis spent 13 years on the faculty at Syracuse University, where her position on faculty searches created national connections leading to recommendations for job opportunities. Soon after, Davis began being recommended for director and deanships across the country.ĚýĚý

Tennessee caught her eye early as Davis was a part of Lev Zetlin Associate’s structural engineering drafting team for UT’s Art and Architecture Building in the mid-1970s, working with McCarty Bullock Holsaple McCarty architecture firm.Ěý

“When UT invited me for the on-campus interview, I was immediately interested so that I could come see the building,” she said. “Almost immediately, as I met with students, faculty, and alumni, it felt like such a good fit.”Ěý

Once at UT, she used the state as a laboratory to demonstrate how design can improve the quality of life. Davis encouraged community outreach initiatives with programs in Nashville, Chattanooga, the Tri-Cities, Memphis, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Knoxville.ĚýĚý

“Design was conceived as a form of applied research, with direct benefit to the citizens of Tennessee,” she said. “The college demonstrated how community academic outreach could integrate service, teaching, research, and creative activity, with national visibility and recognition within the discipline.”Ěý

Teaching remained central to Davis’ work. From her second-year as dean til her last semester with the college, she taught the college’s largest course—which she referred to as her “signature course”—Introduction to Architecture (ARC101). Over the years, she taught more than 3,000 students in the course.Ěý

Furthering the ProfessionĚý

Davis’s impact extends beyond campus and into professional organizations at the local and national level.Ěý

She served as the president of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and completed a three-year term as the ACSA representative to the National Architectural Accreditation Board.ĚýĚý

While dean, Davis chaired the Campus Planning Advisory Committee and helped develop one of the university’s Master Plan, outlining the vision for making the campus more pedestrian friendly.Ěý

In the early 2000s, she co-chaired the Nine Counties, One Vision planning efforts for downtown Knoxville. The project sought to include the ideas of three-quarters of a million people who live in a nine-county area surrounding the city of Knoxville.Ěý

Davis’s accomplishments brought accolades: She was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2005. In 2012, she was named an ACSA Distinguished Professor. In 2015, she received The Gold Medal, AIA East Tennessee’s highest honor, which recognizes individuals whose work has had a lasting influence on the theory or practice of architecture. And in 2016, she and Professor Emeritus Thomas “T.K.” Davis were co-recipients of the AIA Tennessee’s Samuel Morgan Lifetime Service Award for Contribution to Architecture in the Public Realm.Ěý

A Culture of GenerosityĚý

Under Davis’ leadership, the college began to see an increase in endowments established. The culture of generosity made an impact with Davis, who later established the Marleen Kay Davis Faculty Development Endowment to attract and support scholars to the School of Architecture.Ěý

â€ÂŮhowing gratitude is important. Showing gratitude towards something as important as a school, is important,” she said.Ěý

In 2025, Davis joined alumni and friends of the college in being inducted into the inaugural class of the Siena Society, a giving community of alumni and friends who are “all in” for the college through their exceptional generosity and the pivotal role they’ve played in shaping the college’s trajectory.Ěý

“The through line of my career has always been people,” she said. “Whether recruiting faculty, mentoring students, or engaging communities, it has always been about helping people achieve more than they thought possible.”Ěý

From dean to distinguished professor, from studio critic to statewide advocate, Marleen Kay Davis helped shape not only a college—but a culture centered on people. Her legacy will continue in every studio conversation, every outreach partnership, and every student.Ěý

The post From Dean to Distinguished Professor: Marleen Kay Davis Retires appeared first on College of Architecture + Design.

Last fall, an ethics-in-architecture–focused studio series, known as Housing America, began a partnership with the East Tennessee Community Design Center (ETCDC) through its Community Collaborative. Together, they set out to reimagine new possibilities for two county-owned sites: the historic 1948 “old Sears” building at Knox Central and the Knox County Schools Maintenance & Operations facility off E. Fifth Avenue.

Students, led by Professors Ted Shelton, FAIA, and Tricia Stuth, FAIA, in the eighth and ninth iteration of the series, began last fall by examining the urban design opportunities between the two sites, covering approximately a 1.25-mile radius. In small groups, broken into 12 plots, they developed conceptual proposals exploring how the neighborhoods surrounding the county properties could support inclusive housing, adaptive reuse, and empowering revitalization.

“They’re not that far from each other as the crow flies, but how people perceive the connection between each side of the study district is very much affected by infrastructural changes to the city over the last, 100 plus years,” said Stuth. “It is important that our students participate in and have awareness of how one advocates for the built environment through their professional knowledge and their personal interest.”

Students explored the implications that decades of motor infrastructure, pedestrian networks, greenways, and other systems have had on the urban landscape and how those changes may have impacted the two sites situated along former street-carlines. The fall studios, with the ETCDC, invited the public to discuss their work as part of a First Friday art walk in December. Their findings then became the foundation for Shelton and Stuth’s spring studios, which shifts focus to the architectural scale of the historic buildings and surrounding parking lots.

Additionally this spring, the studio will run in parallel with ETCDC’s 2025–26 Community Collaborative—an intensive, design charette where diverse stakeholders brainstorm and develop solutions for a specific project—which kicked off in early February. Registered teams will develop their proposals through April 15.

“The spring studio should be considered a platform,” said Stuth. “The fall was about understanding and learning from a century of these neighborhoods and decades of history and use. We now have an opportunity to explore their transformation and imagine their next roles.”

Students have begun to examine local and international examples of reuse to inspire their focuses for the semester. The results of their semester speculation will be presented in a First Friday exhibition on May 1 along with the ideas generated by the local design community participating in the ETCDC Community Collaborative.

The partnership also yielded a significant architectural revelation for the city. During an on-site project meeting, participants discovered that the Knox County Schools Maintenance & Operations building was in fact designed by Albert Kahn, one of the most influential industrial architects of the 20th century. Often referred to as the “architect of Detroit” for his work on Ford Motor Company factories and other industrial landmarks, Kahn’s work is rare in the South, making the Knoxville building an unexpected and nationally significant find.

“We were already admirers of the building,” Shelton told . “It’s one of those things, when you see it, you go, ‘Oh, that’s what it is.’ But you would never be able to work it back the other way and say, ‘Oh, well, this obviously was that.'”

The discovery has elevated the site’s historic significance and is now shaping how future reuse concepts are being developed.

Beyond Knoxville, the series more broadly has also drawn national recognition. Shelton and Stuth’s Housing America studio series recently received a second , jointly presented by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and the American Institute of Architects. The award honors innovative housing-focused design education and recognizes the studio’s impact on students, communities and the broader housing discourse.

“There’s not going to be one easy solution to the housing crisis, and people can enter into those issues at a lot of different scales and from diverse perspectives,” said Stuth. “Our students over the years have been exposed to the breadth of those issues through this series. They have gone on to graduate study of housing or come back to share housing knowledge on reviews, while others will contribute to the charette. Their dedication to housing design shows an appreciation for connecting places with their histories and communities.”

The Housing America series has become a sustained model for engaging real communities with real challenges, while giving students hands-on experience navigating the ethical, social, and historical dimensions of housing and urban development. As the studio’s work feeds into ongoing county and community discussions, students’ ideas will continue to inform how Knoxville thinks about the future of these prominent sites.

The post Two Sites, Many Possibilities: How Students and Community Partners Are Rethinking County Properties appeared first on College of Architecture + Design.

In the ŔÖ˛Ľ´ŤĂ˝, Assistant Professor Kimberly Mitchell was named an emerging scholar by the Aging and Social Change Research Network.ĚýĚý

Professor Cary Staples serves as senior personnel on “From Brains to Biosystems: Integrative Research for AI, Economy, and Health,” a National Science Foundation–funded project led by Principal Investigator and Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Liz Derryberry.Ěý

School of Interior Architecture’s Associate Professor Rana Abudayyeh was named the 2024 Educator Diversity Award, a national honor announced at the 2025 International Interior Design Association (IIDA) conference, recognizing her leadership and commitment to equity in design education. She also secured two Interior Design Educators CouncilĚý(IDEC) Special Project Grants, both awarded in the same year. Her article, “In Flux: Unplanned Spatial Adaptions in Syrian Refugee Camps,” was accepted into Idea Journal. Ěý

Woven works by Assistant Professor Felicia Francine Dean were featured in two exhibitions including, Fiberart International in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.ĚýĚý

Assistant Professor Hojung Kim, in collaboration with former Visiting Professor Ha Nguyen, received a Graham Foundation grant for their research on sustainable development in Mang ThĂ­t, Vietnam. The duo were also named New Experimental Fellows at Bauhaus Earth for 2026, an international recognition of innovative, place-based research. Their project, â€ÂŮituated Regionalism,” will explore the use of unfired brick across Vietnam’s seven ecological zones.

Assistant Professor Aaron Neal and a team of designers participated in the 2025 Chicago Sukkah Design Festival, creating structures inspired by Jewish tradition.

“Public Interiority: Exploring Interiors in the Public Realm,” written by Professor Liz Teston, received the 2025 IDEC Best Book Award. Last summer she pursued research on the topic of public interiority as a Fulbright Specialist at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. Her creative collaborations were featured in multiple international exhibitions.

Director and Professor Milagros Zingoni Phielipp and Associate Professor of Practice German Valenzuela published “Conversations from South to South,” developed from a series of lectures by architects from the Global South.

The School of Landscape Architecture’s Assistant Professor Sarah Bolivar published “Reconstructing the ‘Self’: Representation Tactics for Multispecies Empathy” in Landscape Research expanding literature on biodiversity loss through spatial changes in land and sea use.

Expanding off his 2024 graphic novel, Assistant Professor Andrew Madl presented an animated short film, “The Nuclear Chronicles: Cultivated Aftermath,” at the International Uranium Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Madl is also contributing computational research as part of a NATO task force, in collaboration with UT’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, to support work with NASA and the U.S. Navy.

Capitalizing on opportunities available through UT, Assistant Professor Faye Nixon received a Digital Humanities Fellowship, was admitted into the Research Development Academy, and secured a $60,000 ORIED grant for LiDAR equipment to support advanced research and teaching within the college.

Faculty Appreciation Week provides a meaningful opportunity to say thank you and recognize the expertise, creativity, and commitment our faculty bring to their students, colleagues, and the discipline. These honors reflect the excellence they model every day for students and colleagues alike.

This is not exhaustive of achievements by faculty in the ŔÖ˛Ľ´ŤĂ˝.

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Sachs has served in the role in an interim capacity since August 2024, when the position was restructured, providing continuity and leadership during a period of growth for the college’s research enterprise.

“For the past year and a half, she has been actively elevating the college’s research culture by strengthening our organizational approach to the impact of research,” said Young. “I’m grateful for her willingness to serve in this role and look forward to the continued growth of a robust, collaborative research culture under her leadership.”

Research has been central to Sachs’ academic and professional trajectory. It was research that brought her to the United States to pursue her PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, following five years in professional practice. At Berkeley she recognized that although the term “research” played a significant role after World War II it was missing from histories of American architectural education and practice. This observation became the basis for her dissertation research. In 2009, she joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s School of Architecture faculty.

Since moving to East Tennessee, Sachs has focused on the Tennessee Valley Authority and its impact on the environment and society. Her upcoming book, “The Mechanized Landscape: Statecraft and Environment in the Tennessee Valley Authority,” co-authored with Assistant Professor Micah Rutenberg, is set for release next month. The TVA is also the subject of her 2023 release, “The Garden in the Machine: Planning and Democracy in the Tennessee Valley Authority,” which focused on the transformation of utopian ideals into professional practice in architecture, landscape architecture and regional planning.

In her role as Associate Dean for Research, Sachs will focus on fostering collaboration, mentorship, and open communication across the college, grounded in the belief that strong research emerges through shared inquiry and dialogue. She aims to create opportunities for faculty to connect across disciplines, support one another’s work, and develop confidence in presenting research at every stage.

“I want to encourage faculty to be excited about taking risks, excited about being voices in discourse,” said Sachs. “I truly believe that the more you practice presenting your work, the better it becomes, and that you start with your colleagues.”

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