LEVELS OF SECLUSION

Carson Gensert and I worked together on an Urban Dormitory that houses artists, students, and provides a hostel as well in the heart of the Historic Downtown area of Knoxville. The site is located between Gay St and State St and focuses on the walkable vs habitable and the residential vs entertainment realms. We hope to achieve a higher dimension of pleasure and interconnectability through the use of Hortus Conclusus, and the creation and balancing of public and private spaces. There are two floors of underground parking accessible from the State Street side. The double height ground floor is accessed from Gay Street and features a market and café, a museum for the artists, studio spaces, a public library, gym and spa, and the residential lobby. The third, fourth, and fifth floors house the students, artists, and the hostel, which are all bridged together by a large open workspace. The apartments can all be lived through on both sides of the site, while the hostel is composed of stacked pods. Each roof top is meant to create a different atmosphere. One has a rooftop garden that the residents work in to provide food for the market, while another is a large open area with a pool, hot tub, and gathering space for families. The last is an indoor-outdoor rooftop bar and grill overlooking the historic part of Gay Street. Through this, we hope to bridge the gap between the residential and entertainment realms with our design.