November 30, 2021 Architecture Students Reimagine Historic School in Chattanooga, Work Exhibited Nov. 29
Fourth-year Architecture students in lecturer Kevin Stevens’s fall 2021 studio have spent the fall 2021 semester collaborating with community members and professionals in Chattanooga to reimagine use of an historic structure, the James A. Henry School.
The studio worked with the Westside Community of Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Design Studio and the Chattanooga Housing Authority to reimagine a future for the school at 1200 Grove St.
“The historic school is located in the heart—both literally and figuratively—of the College Hill Courts neighborhood,” said Stevens. “The existing school is a central part of the Westside Community Evolves neighborhood redevelopment plan, and our studio was asked to consider programs that would both support and sponsor new directions for the community and build on its rich past.”
On Nov. 29, Stevens’s students held a final review in Chattanooga with project stakeholders followed by a public reception and exhibit of their work. The public event took place at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 East Martin Luther King Blvd.
During the semester, students worked alongside architecture and design professionals, including Valarie Franklin, Moody Nolan Architects; Erika Roberts, Glass House Collective; and Eric Myers (’95, B.Arch), Chattanooga Design Studio.
This project is a continuation of the School of Architecture’s successful partnership with the Chattanooga Design Studio. Through the partnership, students in Stevens’s studios in past years have addressed repurposing of space in the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and African American Museum, the structure and connectivity of downtown Chattanooga and the city’s Riverwalk and other visionary projects. Since 1981, projects undertaken by UT students have had a notable impact on the city’s current urban form.
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