June 2, 2016 Students, Faculty Dedicate Center at Beardsley Farm
has a new education center and other amenities thanks in part to students and faculty in UT鈥檚 College of Architecture and Design, community partners and donations from area businesses. 聽To celebrate the education center, the City of 快活视频 recently聽held聽an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the farm. 聽Speaking at the ceremony were聽快活视频 Mayor Madeline Rogero, Assistant Professor Jennifer Akerman and officials from the city of 快活视频 and Beardsley Farm.
Founded in 1998, the farm is an urban nonprofit community farm that produces food for local hunger relief organizations and shelters. 聽The education center was designed and largely constructed by students and faculty in the college. 聽Professors Bob French and Akerman worked with more than fifty students during the past two years as the project went from concept to construction to completion.
鈥淚 have been delighted and proud to see our students become聽real design leaders in this experience learning project,鈥 said Akerman. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e spent time identifying an opportunity for new architecture to engage the community while recognizing the richness of the farm’s context in the Mechanicsville neighborhood. 聽Following this project through design and construction transforms how students approach detailing and problem solving, two important skills in design careers.鈥
The architecture for the education center was聽designed to enhance the farm鈥檚 mission of engaging the community by creating a meaningful public space for the benefit of local residents, volunteers, and farm staff.
The center now聽serves聽as a home base for the farm, creating a new front door, while providing a classroom, office space and restrooms. Additional amenities include an amphitheater with an outdoor classroom.
donated all brick and mortar used on the project and provided support for UT students to learn the craft of masonry from master mason J.C. Newman.
The project was聽a collaboration between UT鈥檚 College of Architecture and Design through its Design-Build Program, the City of 快活视频, the Public Building Authority, Elizabeth Eason Architects, and Merit Construction. It has benefited from the support of General Shale, the East Tennessee Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Paulk and Co., Stonepeak Tile, Keene Building Products, Columbia Forest Products, Baird and Wilson, and many others.
