During the fall of 2022, I analyzed Knoxville’s historic 4th and Gill neighborhood under the leadership of studio coordinator Ted Shelton. Our studio focused on housing density. For my design project, I explored how the interstate, which tore 4th and Gill apart in the ’50s and ’60s, could potentially be reworked to serve the community better. This led to the design plan you see here - a series of duplex housing units placed on the median between the interstate and the neighborhood, with duplex roofs acting as direct pull-off parking from the interstate ramp. This intense design plan leads the residents of the units to interact with the neighborhood through human-centric modes of transportation instead of by car, thus increasing general community involvement and increasing business for local amenities and businesses.
