Aisha Ballesteros, partner and project director of Latin American-based architecture firm , joins 快活视频鈥檚 School of Interior Architecture faculty this fall as the school鈥檚 first female visiting professor.

She graduated from Ibero-American University with her degree in architecture in 2000, and later received a master鈥檚 in 21st century housing from Ibero-American University and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. She joined the JSa team in 2007, and after four years, was appointed partner.

Alongside firm founder and principal Javier 厂谩苍肠丑别锄 and partner Benedikt Fahlbusch, Ballesteros has led cultural projects such as the Carlos Monsiv谩is Personal Library within the Jos茅 Vasconcelos’ Mexican Library and the Juan Soriano Contemporary Art Museum in the state of Morelos, Mexico.

Her projects have garnered recognitions including the silver medal at the Architecture Biennial of Mexico City (2013) for the Carlos Monsiv谩is Personal Library; the gold medal at the National Biennial of Mexican Architecture (2020) and the gold medal at the Architecture Biennial of Mexico City (2019), both for the Juan Soriano Contemporary Art Museum.

Through the firm’s projects in Mexico鈥檚 gastronomic and hospitality scene, such as Pujol, Criollo, Ticuchi and Sal贸n Rosetta, Ballesteros began incorporating interior architecture into JSa鈥檚 practice.

鈥淎isha鈥檚 level of detailed attention elevates the experience of a space,鈥� said Milagros Zingoni, director of the school, who was introduced to Ballesteros and 厂谩苍肠丑别锄, who serves as the college鈥檚 2024 BarberMcMurry Endowed Professor, after visiting his architecture firm, which is housed in a former ice factory in Mexico City.

鈥�Today, 鈥楾he Ice Factory鈥� is a 100 percent self-sustained space that does not use city infrastructure, not even sewage and water,鈥� said Zingoni. 鈥�I saw their firm as a laboratory that is pushing new solutions to today鈥檚 problems, and that鈥檚 what we do as a school.鈥�

厂谩苍肠丑别锄 was invited to campus in 2023 for a school ONE community lecture on JSa鈥檚 approach to architecture and interior architecture, which garnered the City of 快活视频鈥檚 attention. That visit led to continued connections between JSa and UT.

鈥淲e use the same point of view that we develop the architecture, only it is towards the small details and integrating the interior architecture into the general perspective of the project,鈥� Ballesteros said. 鈥淲e say we do interior architecture because the decision we make for the interior, impacts the exterior. We change the building or the design to enhance the experience of a space.鈥�

This semester, Ballesteros is teaching in parallel with 厂谩苍肠丑别锄.

Ballesteros will continue the practice of melding the exterior with the interior as she works with second-year interior architecture students on the historic Southern Railway Station, two buildings which the university has acquired to support the college鈥檚 plan for expansion. The former railway complex was built in 1903 to serve the economic development of East Tennessee. Acquisition of the station offers the college the opportunity to engage with the Downtown 快活视频 community and increase its enrollment size.

Ballesteros and her students have researched the buildings鈥� history and set intentions they wish a visitor to have while in their future space.

鈥�What we have learned is that our projects can produce hospitality and make the people feel welcomed and have experiences instead of just using the buildings,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n our practice, we say that we design experiences, not just the spaces, and it鈥檚 what we want the students to understand.鈥�

鈥淭hey have to feel the intentions they want to provoke, then they can start designing the building,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is really important to understand what experience we would like to achieve at the end.鈥�

Following 厂谩苍肠丑别锄’s visit to campus, he and Ballesteros began planning an immersive interior architecture trip for fourth-year students earlier this year. Assistant Professor Hojung Kim and former Visiting Professor David Barrag谩n spent a week learning how Mexican designers and artisans are approaching interiors work.

Students were able to see how collaboration with artisans enhances the interior experiences of Ballesteros鈥� projects.

鈥淲e are transferring what we are used to doing in our practice to school,鈥� said Ballesteros. 鈥淛avier, and I decided that coming together and having a connection between Mexico and this university makes us really proud and excited for the future collaborations that will come from it.鈥�

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In 1996, 厂谩苍肠丑别锄 founded JSa, a leading architecture practice in the renewal of the Mexico City, with more than 70 employees and offices in Mexico and Peru. The firm is well known for their comprehensive architectural interventions that rehabilitate and restore the urban fabric. They have designed and built over 180 projects in Mexico, South America and Europe.

In 2006, JSa鈥檚 project, Brazil 44, a small housing rehabilitation project in Mexico City, won 厂谩苍肠丑别锄 and the firm the Golden Lion for Best Urban Projects at the Venice Biennale.

鈥淭his was a very small project, but with big importance,鈥� said 厂谩苍肠丑别锄. “People do not need the same space to live. Like families today, they do not need to have a common structure. Families subdivide, they add, subtract, they work and live. So how do you make a space that can adapt to all those needs that families today have?鈥�

This type of adaptive design will be incorporated into 厂谩苍肠丑别锄’s fall studio with students from three of the college鈥檚 schools. They will embrace 厂谩苍肠丑别锄’s rehabilitative practice as they reimagine the former General Shale building in Downtown 快活视频, maintaining the building footprint and adapting it into a community hub that celebrates the proximity to the Tennessee River.

This week, 厂谩苍肠丑别锄 will take 16 architecture, interior architecture and landscape architecture students to Mexico City and Oaxaca to view and other impactful sustainably focused designs and landscapes in Mexico.

Join the college for 厂谩苍肠丑别锄鈥檚 , at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 23.

厂谩苍肠丑别锄 graduated as an architect with honors from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de M茅xico (UNAM), received his master’s degree in real estate development from Columbia University in New York City. In 2008, he was selected as an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

Since 2013, the BarberMcMurry Professorship has funded internationally recognized architects as teachers and researchers for the benefit of students at the College of Architecture and Design.

The professorship was established by 快活视频-based firm, , to promote design excellence through teaching and research by a prominent visiting professor who is an internationally or nationally recognized practicing architect. It is the result of a bequest from Blanche Barber and a match by BarberMcMurry Architects to produce the $1 million endowment.

Previous BarberMcMurry Endowed Professors include Lawrence Scarpa in 2013; Wendell Burnette in 2015; Billie Faircloth in 2018; Mitchell Squire in 2020; and Jenny Wu and Dwayne Oyler in 2021; and Ryan Jones in 2022.

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鈥淚 mainly helped with the additional graphics for a series of maps used to analyze the Maule River and the Ramal Talca-Constituci贸n,鈥� said Fields. 鈥淚 met specifically with one of the students who spoke English throughout my last two weeks going over things such as what size font to use and what colors would look best for analyzing the maps.鈥�

Although the trip was Fields鈥� first time outside the United States, the language barrier was not the biggest challenge she faced.

鈥淚 just so happened to visit Chile while they were having one of their coldest winters and it took several days to get used to walking around with multiple layers of clothing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 flew from Columbia to Atlanta where it was summer, and I was wearing a sweatshirt and a pair of shorts because it was hot and then landed in Santiago where everyone else wore thick jackets and boots because it was cold.鈥�

Fields was able to participate in cultural events such as the Fiesta del Chancho de Talca, Talca Pig Festival, and travel the country.

鈥�My most memorable experience was riding up the Andes Mountains just after it snowed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was a very beautiful experience especially since I don鈥檛 get to see snow very often. At one point the peak of the snowy mountain top blended with the cloudy sky and almost looked like a never-ending winter wonderland.鈥�听

She made a point of visiting museums between Talca, Vi帽a del Mar, and Valpara铆so.

鈥淒uring my first week in Talca, I went to the O鈥橦iggins鈥檚 Museum and learned about the famous Chilean independence leader, Bernardo O鈥橦iggins. The building is his preserved home turned into a museum featuring artifacts and other historical information about Talca. During my third week in Chile, I took a private trip to Vi帽a del Mar and Valpara铆so. I spent most of the time walking through various plazas and outdoor attractions because it was much warmer in those two cities. In Vi帽a del Mar, I visited the Fonk Museum and learned about the Mapuches and their cultural importance in Chile. In Valpara铆so, I visited the Baburizza Palace and got to view a variety of artwork with a great view of the ports.鈥�

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The summer mini term program allowed St盲hli to be flexible with her final year in the program and explore a new country.

鈥淭here is such a big world out there and what is the point of having such a big world and not being able to see it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was so surreal stepping into Tokyo and seeing some of the infamous temples and market streets, it literally felt like a dream. I could not believe I was there!鈥�

Throughout the summer mini term, students traveled to Toyko, Koyasan, Osaka, Fukui, and Kyoto. St盲hli was most impact by Koyasan and staying in the Buddhist monastery,听and the tea ceremony in the听Katsura Imperial Villa.

鈥淎s a future designer, I think this program helped me to gain confidence in presenting to people of other cultures,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t also opened my eyes to their way of thinking from part to whole, micro to macro of design and the balance of contemporary and traditional design and the effort of merging those two.鈥�

The experience expanded St盲hli’s view of the field.

鈥淵ou never know who will know who. As well, that the field of design is not only just architecture or interior architecture, but it can be artists, sculptors, pottery makers, and more. I learned simply how wide the word 鈥渄esign鈥� spans.鈥�

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鈥淲hen I found out I was one of the three Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship recipients, I was honestly speechless,鈥� said O鈥橬eil. 鈥淚 was flooded with emotions of happiness, honor, gratitude, and a bit of shock. It was something that I had put a ton of work and time into this semester, and I was initially just so honored to be one of the two nominated from the school, and then extremely honored to be a finalist, and now I am beyond grateful and proud to be one of the scholarship recipients.鈥�

Growing up in Nashville, Tennessee, O鈥橬eil saw the city鈥檚 booming development. In between schoolwork and basketball, she spent hours teaching herself to use software that would bring her design concepts to life.

She received the scholarship for Salutogenic Sanctuary, an in-patient addiction center with out-patient facilities and sanctuary conceptual design during her third year.

鈥淔or me, a sanctuary isn鈥檛 necessarily a specific place in the built environment, but a place I feel calm and a place that I truly want to be, and ultimately a place of healing,鈥� O鈥橬eil said. 鈥淎ddiction centers generally have a pretty negative connotation, but they can play such an impactful role in someone鈥檚 life. I believe that a big part of the healing process in any instance is the want to heal and the environment that you are healing in can play a large role in that. I am very interested in biophilic design and exploring ways design can improve one鈥檚 wellbeing and this project informed and expanded that interest.鈥�

The studio, led by lecturer Ashley Coon, encouraged students to explore artificial intelligence as they envisioned and developed their space. Inspired by a lecture from Gensler鈥檚 Global Director of Design Technology Joseph Joseph on how the firm is using AI and feedback she received in her final review by Nashville Gensler Principal Christopher Goggin, O鈥橬eil revisited and expanded her designs.

鈥淗is lecture reminded me that pushing the boundaries of myself and my work will give me the most desirable outcome,鈥� she said.

Torres-Panzera, of Marietta, Georgia, grew up playing musical instruments which she says lent itself to the repetition and iterative practice of design.

鈥淧laying a musical instrument is a super sensory experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I practiced growing up, I listened to the tone, felt the strings or keys and their vibrations, and read the music at the same time. It is so stimulating and thrilling in this way. When we design anything spatial, we consider each sense as its own experience. Especially because I was designing an exhibition that ignites feelings of nostalgia and ephemerality, I knew I needed to be intentional about how the user would see, feel, and hear the space.鈥�

Her winning project envisioned a temporary exhibit depicting Villa Temporaria Rinc贸n Chico de Piedra del 脕guila, a temporary town in the southeast of the province of Neuqu茅n, in Patagonia, Argentina, as a part of Assistant Professor Marie Salda帽a’s studio.

The former town鈥檚 community included School of Interior Architecture Director Milagros Zingoni Phielipp, which encouraged Torres-Panzera to consider the different life experiences as she conceptualized the exhibition.

鈥淚t gave me the big responsibility of how I represent her story through design,鈥� Torres-Panzera said. 鈥淪ome people may associate that town with being a kid, someone may remember those ten years raising a family, and other people associate that town with a chapter of hard work and heavy labor.

鈥淭he town was like its own lively bubble, and now all that remains is its footprint. When I designed the exhibition, I wanted something that kind of disappears but leaves its footprint, because this is all people who lived there have left.鈥�

The exhibition features paper structures that rise and fall representing the town鈥檚 emergence and disappearance. The paper would reveal silhouettes that represent the inhabitants鈥� experiences living in the temporary community.

The pair mark the sixth and seventh award recipients in the past ten years in the College of Architecture and Design. Previous winners include:

• Danielle Lanier, second-place winner, 2020
• Niklos Toldi, first-place winner, 2018
• Mary Morgan Smith, second-place winner, 2017
• Taylor Odom, second-place winner, 2016
• Erin Collins, first-place winner, 2015

The scholarship was established in 1999 as a memorial to Donald G. Brinkmann, an inspirational interior designer and former Gensler principal who personified the essence of design, vision, and leadership.

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This spring, Dean Young recognized 11 faculty members with one of the four college awards during the College of Architecture and Design鈥檚 State of the College address.听

The Alma and Hal Reagan Research Seed Award was established to help kickstart shorter-term, high impact research projects or the beginning stages of potentially longer-term projects. These projects target categories that address the college鈥檚 strengths and strategic priorities. This year鈥檚 awards were presented to…听

• Jennifer Akerman, Associate Professor of Architecture, Critical Practice in Architecture听
• Liz Teston, Associate Professor of Interior Architecture, and Catty Dan Zhang, Associate Professor of Architecture, The Weather Holds: Atmospheric Thresholds in the New South听
• Scott Wall, Professor of Architecture, 100 Maps of Finland: Selective Cartography听

The James Musgraves Research Award supports faculty with research projects in later development stages that would benefit from additional funding to complete them. This year鈥檚 awards supported…听

• Gregor Kalas, Associate Professor of Architecture, Eternal City of Compassion: The Reuse of Ancient Architecture for Charity Centers in Late Antique and Early Medieval Rome听
• Marshall Prado, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Composite Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Process (CHAMP)听
• Rutenberg, and Avigail Sachs, Associate Professor of Architecture, The Mechanized Landscape: Statecraft and Environment in the Tennessee Valley听

The College of Architecture and Design Grant Writing Program Award assists faculty in identifying and developing proposals for external funding in support of longer-term research agendas. Faculty recognized for this year鈥檚 awards included…听

• Kalas, Structural Resilience and Architectural Restoration in the Aftermath of Postmodern Crises听
• Hojung Kim, Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture, Mekong Delta Handicraft: A Blueprint for Mang Thit’s Cultural and Architectural Heritage听
• Zhang, Non-Smoking Architecture: Synthesizing Digital Design Workflow, Smart Technologies, and Domestic Weather Forms of Contemporary Living in the East Tennessee Region听

The Faculty ReCharge Program was established to refresh faculty members鈥� own learning, rejuvenating them and their future students. The stipends enable faculty to travel, reflect on and develop teaching priorities, new courses and pursue other academic endeavors. This year鈥檚 program supported five awards.听

• Carl F. Maples Faculty Development Award: Akerman for her proposal to travel to the Pacific Northwest to develop a journal article.听
• Lindsay and Maples Faculty Award: Mark Stanley, Assistant Professor of Architecture, for his proposal to travel to Japan to study the fallout of the US history of nuclear materials.听
• College of Architecture and Design Fund Award: Wall for his proposed travel to Lapland while he is in Finland this summer.听
• Architecture Faculty Award:听Prado for his proposal to attend the RobArch 2024 Conference in Toronto.听

• Dean鈥檚 Excellence Faculty ReCharge Award: David Fox, Associate Professor of Architecture, for his proposal to initiate research for a book on the Thorncrown Chapel by E. Fay Jones, FAIA.听

Faculty research profoundly impacts students’ courses and industry knowledge by infusing cutting-edge findings and innovative practices into the curriculum. As faculty engage in diverse research projects, they bring fresh insights and contemporary perspectives into the classroom, enriching the educational experience.听

The Research Development Program aligns with the college鈥檚 forthcoming vision and strategic priorities, including a robust research program.

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Shoemaker and Webb join the in the United States and Canada as selected by the magazine’s team.

, a fourth-year student from Germantown, Tennessee, was nominated by Greg Terry, owner of GSTerry Design Studio, and Rana Abudayyeh, associate professor and Robin Klehr Avia Professor of Interior Architecture.

鈥淚 remember Caitlin Turner had been recognized my freshman year, so I was so excited when I found out I had been selected,鈥� said Shoemaker. 鈥淩eceiving an honor like MET Future100 is so validating of all the work I have put in and solidifies that I am on the right path.鈥�

IA Collaborative, UT鈥檚 student organization of IIDA and ASID, has been a formative experience for Shoemaker. She has served on the board since her first-year at UT and finishes her term as president this semester.

鈥淢y time in IA Collaborative taught me how to serve the community I am a part of both inside and outside of the A+A,鈥� she said. 鈥淓xperiences in IA Collaborative taught me how to network and present myself professionally as well as participate in the college鈥檚 academic and administrative conversation. Being a part of this organization connected me to the pulse of the School of Interior Architecture by embedding me in its community.鈥�

, a fourth-year student from Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, was nominated by Abudayyeh as well. She has served in multiple leadership roles in IA Collaborative. Webb was a 2023 Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship finalist and 2023 ASID Student Commercial Silver Award recipient.

鈥淚 have so much respect for our interior architecture leadership and professors, so I felt very honored to been nominated and lucky to have been selected,鈥� she said.

She developed a passion for inclusive and community-driven spaces after two studios with Abudayyeh. This fall, she will continue to explore her design interests as she pursues a Master鈥檚 in architecture degree at UT.

鈥淭he School of Interior Architecture has prepared me well for graduate school. I believe my time as an interior architecture student will help me be a better architecture student,鈥� she said.

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鈥淲atching Tony see the room was incredibly rewarding and heartwarming,鈥� said Makenzie Karr, a first-year student and incoming philanthropy chair of IA Collaborative, the student chapter of IIDA and ASID. 鈥�For a family who has been going through a really hard time, to have people express love and care over them, is really special and to be able to do this for them was so impactful. It was a true picture of making dreams come true, and seeing the effect design can have on lives.鈥�

The interior architecture students began working with Special Spaces, a not-for-profit organization creating dream bedrooms for children with cancer, last fall to fundraise for Tony鈥檚 room renovation. The nonprofit blended the organization鈥檚 community service and professional development missions.

鈥淔irst and foremost, we are a professional development organization, so our goal is to help students work on their skill sets as a designer and to be prepared as an employee,鈥� said Emmie Barnett, a fourth-year interior architecture student and vice president of IA Collaborative. 鈥淲orking with an organization like Special Spaces, allows us to give back to the community while gaining residential design experience.鈥�

With $1,500 to construct and furnish the young boy鈥檚 oasis, IA Collaborative hosted a competition for members to propose a design for Tony鈥檚 room with small groups across four cohorts. Barnett was a part of the winning team, 鈥淕odzilla likes Legos too.鈥�

Students utilized the college鈥檚 woodshop to fabricate elements of Tony鈥檚 room renovation, including a feature wall of 3D building blocks. Sixteen Volunteers assisted Special Spaces in the installation of the design and seven were on-site when Tony first saw his new room.

鈥淚t has been a pleasure working with all of these young professionals,鈥� said Amy Hensley, chapter director of Special Spaces. 鈥淭hey take everything we are doing very seriously and want to give their very best in each task they have been given. I think they should be very happy with the final reveal and getting to see the impact they helped to make on a very deserving 12-year-old boy鈥檚 life.鈥�

IA Collaborative plans to continue their partnership with Special Spaces.

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鈥淯sing eye tracking software, we are understanding design goals for our stakeholders,鈥� she said. The pair aim to improve curriculum by better removing aspects of design that are inherently understood by incoming students, in- and outside of the School of Interior Architecture. Their research is investigating branding, community, sustainability, and wellness, the area Simon is drawn to most.

The College of Architecture and Design and School of Interior Architecture helped financially support Simons鈥� travels and conference costs.

鈥淎s educators, it’s our duty to nurture curiosity and empower our students to pursue their passions beyond the confines of our classrooms,鈥� said Zingoni. 鈥淪upporting Abbie to present this research internationally isn’t just about showcasing their academic achievements; it’s about fostering a global perspective and instilling in them the confidence to make meaningful contributions to the world.鈥�

A native of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, the conference was Simon鈥檚 first trip out of the country. During the conference, she was able to learn from PhD candidates across the world and network with international researchers.

鈥淚’m so grateful for the college and our faculty for supporting everything I鈥檝e pursued at UT. I’m reminded every day that I made the right choice for my education,鈥� she said.

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鈥淚 put a lot into thinking about the experience that students have in the classroom and to see the work that’s produced and that how that鈥檚 been recognized is huge,” said Dean. 鈥淚t’s not your typical kind of interiors studio in the sense that of how it looks at textiles, how it looks at culture through objects and artifacts that the students are learning by literally through their hands. By understanding culture through making so it, it feels fantastic for that to be recognized as a form of learning that’s successful.鈥�

Since joining the faculty in 2019, her courses, such as Woven Spatial Identity and The Politics of Seating, engage students in essential discussions and design investigations by layering culture, history, identity, craft with analog and digital fabrication methods.听

鈥淚t’s not just about them researching something in a book or learning from a video about a culture. They’re not necessarily going there, but they’re getting an aspect of immersion through the craft, weaving, or quilting.听

鈥淭he students have responded positively to taking a break from working on their computer and this kind of slower movement to produce something. It grounds them a bit, gives them time to breathe,鈥� she said.听

Dean is the second faculty member from the School of Interior Architecture to receive the award at 快活视频. Assistant Professor Rana Abudeyyah received the award in 2022, and Milagros Zingoni, director of the school, received the award in 2019, prior to joining the college.听

Dean鈥檚 creative scholarship examines hard and soft material configurations, identity, visual communication, and their correlated implications. In 2021, Dean鈥檚 research investigation of latent stone and fabric material identities as a method of reconciling space and place was supported by a grant from the the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.听

Her project, Perception of Misconceptions: Intersecting Stone and Fabric Material Identities, examines digital and hand fabrication processes, stone carving and Appalachian and Italian quilting techniques. The study includes a collaboration with the partnership she has developed with the Tennessee Marble Company and participation in the Digital Stone Project Residency in Italy.听

While at the IDEC conference, Dean will present her findings, which were applied through the fabrication of furniture designs. Last year, she was invited to disseminate her scholarship of teaching and learning at Toronto Metropolitan University by leading one of their BEHR sponsored workshops at their Design + Technology Lab. This year she has accepted invitations to teach workshops as part of the University of Nebraska鈥擫incoln鈥檚 initiatives for their Angelo Donghia Foundation award, and at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.听

鈥淔elicia鈥檚 dedication to crafting immersive learning experiences for our students has always been unparalleled,鈥� said Zingoni. 鈥淗er ability to intertwine culture, history, and craftsmanship within the classroom not only fosters exceptional learning but also inspires creativity and critical thinking. The recognition of her tireless efforts with the 2024 Teaching Excellence Award is a testament to her unwavering commitment to education and innovation in interior architecture. We couldn’t be prouder of her accomplishments and the impact she continues to make within our academic community.鈥�

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