The College’s Engineering Technology Management: Construction Management students and faculty have partnered with UTC Interior Design Program, UT Knoxville’s School of Architecture, the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TBAEE), and First Baptist Church of Bozentown to establish a community design studio. The Living Studio was established within the church’s facilities located on Dodds Avenue, Chattanooga, and will serve the community as a resource to assist area citizen with residential design challenges.
With grant funding provided by TBAEE, spaces in First Baptist Church were transformed into a design laboratory and work space for students in all three academic programs. During the summer, students from CECS and the Interior Design Program of UTC’s College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies, invested “sweat equity” in cleaning, painting, and refurbishing spaces which will be accessible to community residents as well as the undergraduate and graduate students assisting them.
All five partners involved with the concept and implementation of the Living Studio are excited about the opportunity to work together on behalf of residents of one Chattanooga community, and welcome the chance to bring new concepts in energy efficiency, improved space utilization, and maintenance to the University’s neighbors. This “hands on” experiential learning initiative will provide UTC and UTK students with the chance to apply what they have learned in the classrooms to real life needs, and is part of CECS’ commitment to outreach and service.
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