UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

AIAS FREEDOM BY DESIGN

What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other? - George Eliot

STATEMENT OF INTENT

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

SCHOOL + COMMUNITY

AWARDS + RECOGNITION

COMPETITON

2014_ BEILKE RESIDENCE

2013_ SKEEN RESIDENCE

2013_ DAUGHTERY INTERIOR

2012_ ENGLAND RESIDENCE

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0.0 Contents

CONSTRUCT_TO CONSTRUCT IDEAS_TO CONSTRUCT RELATIONSHIPS_TO CONSTRUCT FREEDOM

0.1 Statement of Intent

Many people feel confined in their own homes. They are unable to get into their showers, ascend steps, open doors or pass through doorways. Most troubling is that many people are unable to flee their homes in an emergency without assistance because the residences are not properly designed for their specific needs.

Freedom by Design™, the AIAS community service program, utilizes the tal-ents of architecture students to radically impact the lives of people in their community through modest design and construction solutions. Vital mod-ifications are made to enhance the homes of low-income and disabled in-dividuals by addressing their struggles with everyday tasks such as bathing, ascending stairs and opening doors. Our priority is improving the safety, comfort and dignity of the home’s occupants.

The university of Tennessee Chapter of Freedom by Design specializes spe-cifically in the communities of Knoxville, Tennessee. We seek out clients that are at or below poverty level with physical or mental disabilities. Our work has ranged from exterior renovations, new construction, interior renovation, and large scale analytical research projects.

Through our construction processes we have involved roughly 1/4 of the stu-dents at UTK College of Architecture and Design. We act as leaders and edu-cators in the fields of design, material applications, construction techniques, and sustainable design. All of these practices can be found in our completed projects. We start every project with a new breath from our current client and the current contextual site limitations. The process of 100% student design, fundraising, detailing, and construction is unique and challenging for stu-dents in academia.

“FBD allows me to make a profound impact in my community through throughful design.” - Matt Barnett, Director

“Practicing my practice by showing the world better practices.” - Thomas Agee, Project Manager

“Freedom by Design means dedication to modestly sized design build projects that radically impacts the lives of people in the Knoxville community” - Irene Chang, Assistant Director

“To me, Freedom By Design is opportunity; it’s a chance for architecture students to put their skills to the test and bring their ideas to fruition, but it’s also an experience like no other to help those who sometime cannot help themselves.”- Meredith Graves, Fund Raising

“What Freedom by Design means to me is that I get the opportunity to take small steps in the community that will help better Knoxville.” - Alex Pasley, Assistant Project Manager

“Freedom by Design is an organization where I can use my design skills to help others through design build projects.” - Macy Clower, Historian

To whomever this may concern,

This letter is a recommendation for Matt Barnett as the AIAS | Freedom by Design director for AIAS UTK.

Matt became involved with the program in the fall of 2012 as an honorary volunteer. Though his leadership capabalities extended beyond the role alotted to him, he continued to serve the program in any way possible. As the program carried its second project to completion, Matt proved himself to be not only knowledgeable of design and construction

AIAS | FBD Project Manager, a role he took on after attending AIAS Grassroots 2013. During this time he successfully led a project to completion, the third consecutive in the history of AIAS UTK. Seeking to expand the scope of the program, Matt was again ready for a new challenge.

After attending AIAS Grassroots for a second time, Matt took on the role of AIAS | FBD Director. Matt understands the purpose and potential of this program. He is inspired by the involvement of motivated students, and touched by the tears of a grateful client. Matt is able to shift his focus seemlessly from the micro-scale of a project detail to the big

it to the respected status that it holds today.

friend and inspiration in my own life, and I am excited to see

Sincerely,

Michael SenaAIAS UTK Chapter Presidentmsena@vols.utk.edu

21 september 2014

MiM chael Sena

0.2 Letters of Recommendation

The University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design Art + Architecture Building Knoxville Tennessee 37996 Marleen Kay Davis, FAIA Professor and Former Dean mkdavis@utk.edu 865 . 851.3911

September 28, 2014 To Whom It May Concern:

I am very pleased to write on behalf of Matt Barnett, of the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design. Matt Barnett has been a central member of the AIAS Freedom By Design student group for over three years. Freedom By Design is a service effort of the American Institute of Architecture Students, in which students design and build projects that transform the lives of clients who may be considered impaired in some way. Since his second year in our program, Matt Barnett has been part of the student building teams, he has been part of the fundraising efforts, and he has organized work teams and design competitions as a project manager. As he enters his last year in our five year Bachelor of Architecture program, he has emerged as the key student leader, elected as Director, for the University of Tennessee Freedom By Design chapter. Since 2012, Matt Barnett has attended three different AIAS national Forum events for Freedom By Design. He has been part of different task forces, and has been named as the National Chair for the AIAS Freedom By Design advisory group. Thus, Matt has an excellent sense of the national issues in the Freedom By Design effort. He has been consistently dedicated and knowledgeable about this important program. The Freedom By Design effort at the University of Tennessee has been commendable over the last three years, with student projects that are completed on time and on budget. he student fundraising efforts are very effective, with numerous sponsors and an annual “Pig Roast” at a fall football game. In 2013 and in 2014, the University of Tennessee group has been selected to make presentations at AIAS Forum about their work. The student work has also been featured in our local media. The entire effort is completely student lead, while the school and faculty are minimally involved. I have known Matt Barnett very well since his second year in our five year B. Arch program. I had him as a student in my design class in both his second year and third year. He is talented, thoughtful, hard working, and detail oriented. All of these characteristics that have made him successful in our design courses have also helped him to be successful in the Freedom by Design effort. He is very dedicated. At the University of Tennessee, our Bachelor of Architecture program is a rigorous five-year professional program in which students are immediately challenged to think analytically and creatively. We have very competitive admissions, so Matt has worked with a very talented group of peers in a challenging course of study. It is impressive that he has balanced his academic studies with his external activities in Freedom By Design. It has been a pleasure to have Matt Barnett in our program, and I know he will be a credit to our university when he graduates.

I very, very, very strongly recommend Matt Barnett as a University of Tennessee 2015 graduate of our Bachelor of Architecture program, who has made his mark in his coursework and volunteer activities with the AIAS Freedom By Design chapter. . With very best wishes,

Marleen Kay Davis, FAIA ACSA Distinguished Professor

COMMUNITY_COMMUNITY SUPPORT_COMMUNITY CONNECTION_COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS

0.3 School + Community Impact

AIAS Freedom by Design allows students to become leaders in the areas of design builds, sustainability, construction technique, and ADA advocacy. FBD allows students to make connections in the community with architects, contractors, material suppliers, and marketing agencies.

Each completed construction project takes the effort of 40-70 volunteering students. This is unprecedented in a sense of impacting students on levels other than required class work. Our FBD board members become leaders in the school community through the action of lead by example. This leadership permeates through the student body and brings a sense of excitement for design build projects in our communities.

We teach students how to create thoughtful designs for physical construction. This covers the practice of material selection, construction documents, and even physically building the project they designed. This may be the first time a student can see a theoretically designed project become a reality.

FBD impacts the community on many different scales. While we have touched the lives of several families and sub-communities through our design build projects, we also are the leading advocates for accessibility. All of our clients are chosen based on need, so at times our organization may be the only option available.

Freedom by Design is the purest form of architecture. All of the time spent designing and constructing projects is volunteered. Nothing is gained in any way other than the satisfaction from our clients. This has a profound impact on our community because other organizations and businesses take up our model of selflessness. Our simple projects bring our community together and creates relationships around the incredible act of giving and providing for those in need.

0.4 Awards + Recognition

Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement (EURECA)Skeen Residence - Honor AwardBeilke Residence - Finalist

“The EURECA awards are an extraordinary achievement for FBD. The field of competition was all faculty lead and heavily completed during course work. The FBD projects are completed independently from coursework and are stu-dent lead. To compete at the same level and even win awards is incredible.”

2012 Grassroots Leadership Conference Keynote Speaker Washington DCPresentation - England Residence

2013 Grassroots Leadership Conference Keynote Speaker Washington DCPresentation - Skeen Residence

2014 Grassroots Leadership Conference Keynote Speaker Washington DCPresentation - Beilke Residence

Publication Highlights:

‘Students Design, Build Better Access to Home of Woman with Medical Needs’

‘UT Architecture Students, Alumni Featured at AIAS Grassroots Leadership Conference’

‘UT Architecture Students Design, Remodel Home of Family with Disabilities’

_AIAS UTK Freedom by Design has been published in over 20 articles to date and have been featured live on multiple new stations.

0.5 Competition

PALLET DESIgN

+ + =the design concept was to add a direct ramp with no switch backs from the drive way to the front door, and provide a back porch with the perfect amount of shading for comfort. both entrances have been À t with stairs and surrounding plantings. the second concept was to use a common material that can be easily manipulated and recycled to give the design a common theme. the shipping pallets are a sustainable building material that will give the project its ‘soul’. used pallets have a beautiful dirtiness to them that give them character. this character is a reÁ ection of the client and her uplifting personality. the back porch has wide stairs that can be used for seating as well as vertical circulation. the shading structure will be framed with standard dimensional lumber and will have 2” ripped down pallet boards inserted on a 3 inch interval to provide a very À ne shading quality. the back porch is located on the south side of the site so the over head shading has been extended over each side by 3’. by using shipping pallets for all of the railing and shading components it greatly reduces the overall cost of the project while also respecting the environment through recycled materials. this will also allow students to prefabricate the over head shading structure and railings in a modulated format in the architecture building, or fab lab. due to the lack of slope on the site there is a certain ease of construction for the structural wood pieces. concrete piers will be poured with a 6 inch reveal above ground that will serve as the ‘feet’ of the project, from there the post and deck framing structure is relatively simple construction and detailing. this will allow for a very speedy site construction management. after the main structure is built, the concrete walk ways will be poured and will have very light board form topping pressed into it. this furthers the conceptual texture that the pallets bring. after the pour the railings and roof structure can be brough to the site and attached while the landscaping is being applied.

done.

Competitions are integral to the thoughtful design process of Freedom by Design. The University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design is a top 25 program and boasts some of the most talented design students in the nation. We take advantage of this by holding school wide design compe-titions to ensure that the product we provide our client is the best possible. Our competitions are juried by some of the best Architects and educators in the nation. This list includes Larry Scarpa, Brandon Pace, Brian Ambroziak, Marleen Davis, James Rose, and Scott Wall.

Below are three amazing examples of student designed work.

Back Elevation 1/8” = 1’

Front Elevation 1/8” = 1’

FREEDOM BY DESSSSESESESE IGGIGGIGIGIGGGNNNNNNNNNSPRING 201414141414414 DDDDDDESIGNGSIGESIGESIESIGESIGESS COMPETITION

Plan 1/8” = 1’Plan 1/8 = 1

Planters are elevated 2.5’

FREEDOM BY DESIGN ACCIPIETIn many ways the opportunity to participate in this design process has been similar to the physical design presented before you. Opportunities to provide design assistance to our neighbors is a way to provide tangible needs and by extension emotional needs. In the most simple way our client is receiving a gift. We too are receiving a gift and an opportunity to serve.

The ‘accipiet’ design is set up on multiple levels to ‘receive’. The back deck has the ability to receive the clients mower, hose reel, garden tools, and additional yard objects beneath its deck. Above the deck an integrated bench, fold-down table, and fold-down potting table receive the client for utility and leisure. The planting wall is elevated to the client’s height to prevent the need to bend for garden activities. Additionally, it is oriented so that it can receive sun light year round. The cantilevered roof is pitched so that it receives rainwater which is then funneled to a raintank housed beneath the deck bench. This water is then used for gardening. The roof is supported by two birdhouses which double as structural support and a receiving area for nesting birds. The stairs also have a fold out door to keep our client’s dog on the deck.

The front of the house is laid out to receive both visitors and stormwater runoff. The approach ramp is located at the edge of the parking area to reduce the need for an approach walk made of impervious paving. The front planting strips are located to receive and prevent stormwater from shedding under the home. The larger front planting strip extends alongside the parking area to capture polluted stormwater. Front doors offer opportunities to receive guests. The upper deck has been expanded and shifted to allow the door to swing naturally out of the flow of pedestrian traffic and standing area, thus preventing congestion.

Coincidentally, the primary design material for the back decks’ faces is shipping pallets (which are often used for receiving shipping.) To further accent and personalize the client’s deck we will laser etch a rooster on the fold-down table on the back deck. The planting palette is comprised of native perennials which are low in maintenance and provide year-round seasonal interest.

FRONT PLANTING MIXREAR PLANTING MIX

PURPLE CONEFLOWER BLAZING STAR

COMMON WINTERBERRY

BACK DECK

STORAGE LOCKER

SEASONAL PLANTER

ADA ENTRY RAMP

STORMWATER PLANTER

DRIVEWAY STORMWATER PLANTER

SHIFTED AND EXPANDED ENTRY DECK

RAISED PLANTER

RAINWATER CATCH (ROOF)

ROOF ANCHOR AND BIRDHOUSE

MOWER LOCKER

WATER REEL & TOOL LOCKER

FRONT DECK

BACK DECK

ARROWWOOD VIBURNUM DWARF FOTHERGILLA

LITTLE BLUESTEM

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FREEDOM_FREEDOM TO ACCESS_FREEDOM TO BE_FREEDOM TO LIVE

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0.6 2014_ Beilke Residence

The Beilke Residence was in a state of dis-repair with the existing entrances. The front and back entrances were dangerous and did not comply with current ADA standards. The design challenge was to incorporate a 40’ ramp and stair on the front the of home, while connecting to the driveway. The back entrance needed a new deck surface that met the door height along with stairs and a creative way of exterior storage.

The design solution was centered around a mass wall that gave the project its concept and character. The wall provided a cohesive element that both the front and back elements shared. It also provided the client with a sense of privacy due to the density of her neighborhood and lack of boundaries from neighbors. The wall was a interpretation of multiple uses for a simple deck board, and provided a very elegant strip of planting for the cheerful cultivation by the client.

Foundation + PostConcrete foundation piers, post seats, bolted to 4x4 exterior post and 6x6 center post

Girder + Joist FramingRamp and deck structure applied to posts, central post line shares structural bay system

Wall FramingCentral wall framing between structural bays around the posts

Deck Board SurfacingDeck boards are applied to the deck, ramp, stair, and wall surface

RailingsRailings added to ramp and stair

Foundation + PostConcrete foundation piers, post seats, bolted to 4x4 and 6x6 post

Girder + Joist FramingRamp and deck structure applied to posts, 1 structural bay

Wall FramingExterior wall framing between structural bays around the posts

Deck Board SurfacingDeck boards are applied to the deck, stair, and wall surface

RailingsRailings added to ramp and stair

0.7 2013_ Skeen Residence

The Skeen Residence is a 1960’s home made entirely from re-used materials. The design challenge was to define a main point of entry to the home, and provide a connection to the secondary point of entry. The main focus was to renovate the existing driveway and overhang while applying the new design of an L-shaped deck, and concrete ramp extending to the vehicle entry point.

The connective tissue of the design was the introduction of a third material. This material was derived from the essence of the original construction of the home, and the hobbies of the client. We created 2 large anchoring planters made from re-claimed railroad ties. The rail road ties symbolized the nature of re-use, and sustainability that was already instilled on the site. The placement of the railroad ties on each end of the L-deck gave cohesion to the design concept, and beautifully completed the juxtaposition of old vs new material.

Railroad Tie PlantersRailroad ties placed in alternating spans, connected with rebar and strong ties

Foundation + PostConcrete pier foundation with post seats bolted to 6x6 post, re-structure of exisiting overhang

Concrete RampConcrete ramp poured to planter, extending outward to parking area

Decking SurfaceDeck boards applied to main walking surface

Girder + Joist FramingStrucural framing bays in two directions due to spacing and L-shape

RailingsADA level railings applied around planters

0.8 2013_ Daughtery InteriorThe Daughtery interior was a practice in space management and material in-tegration. The initial site visit revealed that the space was roughly 5’ x 8’ and had bulky cabinetry and completely rendered the client incapable of using the space.

Our initial design concept was centered around how to transform the small space into a wheelchair accessible restroom. The involved removing the par-tition wall, and changing the position of the sink. After designing the necessi-ties, we turned our focus onto the conceptual aspect of design. The cabinetry and storage became the driver for the soul of the project. Solid Cherry wood counter tops with brushed aluminum accents gave a sense of warmth and craftsmanship to the design. The cabinets were designed to open and close without extending into central space.

0.9 2012_ England ResidenceThe England Residence was brought to our attention by a local children’s hospital. The design challenge was to give access to a home for a child that was completely constrained to a wheelchair. The current state of the home gave no access.

The design solution was to completely renovate one side of the home and transform two entrances, pathways, and landscaping. The addition of a full back deck with a connected 35 foot ramp to the driveway, and the second-ary access of stairs was tied together with custom concrete pathways, and a concrete patio. The landscaping became very important when dealing with a sloped site. Plant selection was designated based on the potential for limiting water runoff and natural beautification of the site.

Thank you,

- Team Freedom