Title: Loghaven Artist Residency Gateway Building
Location of Proejct: Knoxville, TN
Project Completion Date: January 2020
Firm Name: Sanders Pace Architecture

Short Description: The Gateway Building at the Loghaven Artist Residency serves as the operations center and communal gathering place for the residency program. The new building includes office space, a small gallery, communal living and dining areas, and a multidisciplinary studio.

Architect's Statement: Project Square Footage: 4,528 SF
Project Total Cost: Withheld

The Loghaven Artist Residency is a multidisciplinary artist residency occupying 90 acres just 2 miles from downtown Knoxville. The site consists of 5 historic log cabins dating from the 1930’s which have been rehabilitated into residences for visiting artists, a new Gateway Building which provides communal artist spaces along with a multidisciplinary studio, and two studio buildings purpose-built for visual and performing artists. Completed in late 2019, the project is the culmination of years of planning, research, and coordination between a charitable foundation and the design team. Threatened with development, the property was initially acquired by the foundation in 2008 with the goal of preserving the site for future generations. From the outset goals and priorities were established including:

- The rehabilitation strategy that included the preservation of the original 1930’s era log cabins originally constructed by Myssie Thompson as rental homes for her family;
- An ecological strategy that preserved and enhanced the existing character of Loghaven Drive and the surrounding 90 acre property;
- A strategy for new construction which contrasts but complements the character of the originals, reinterpreting the typology, scale, and materiality of the original buildings in new ways.

The site is programmed with 3 primary functions including artist cabins, a Gateway Building, and dedicated artist studio space. These programs are all interconnected by a combination of original roads and paths and a newly constructed trail system which weaves through the forest and woodlands flanking both sides of a ridge.

The Gateway Building was the first new building on the campus and was designed to serve as operations center for the Residency. The new building includes space for a rotating entry gallery, a director’s office, a commercial kitchen staffed by a local chef, communal living and dining spaces for residents, and a multidisciplinary studio space dedicated to one of the visiting artists. This space is also capable of hosting lectures, performances, multimedia exhibitions.

Goals for the project were established early on in the process. The design team established an agenda for new development on the campus which would contrast any new structure with the historic structures already in place. While establishing a clear distinction between the eras of development was a primary driver, cues were still taken from the cabins in order to create a dialogue between old and new spaces on site. The design team looked to the siting, scale, and materials of the existing cabins as a point of departure for new work. The rustic materials and features of the original cabins were translated to the Gateway Building in a more refined way. Rubble stone foundation walls were traded for cut bluestone while log walls in random lengths are exchanged for a milled 2”x8”x12’ long bleached Accoya rainscreen coursed to match the 12’ grid of the new building. In contrast to the small, irregularly placed openings in the existing cabins, 9’ tall wood windows fill 12’ openings coursed to the same grid. Bronze picket railings replaced line outdoor terraces and layer into the landscape to define a distinction between public and private spaces. A stainless steel gutter is integrated into the roof system to further refine the building.

The evaluation of sustainability strategies was another major component of the project. A sustainability consultant was involved throughout the design process on the Gateway Building, helping to inform the selection of materials and systems in order to improve building efficiency and performance. Working with the sustainability consultant targets were established and the building was designed to meet LEED certification. The design of the building incorporates large operable windows and sliding doors which fill the floor plates with natural light and allow access to fresh air and improved air quality. Lighting and acoustics strategies were developed to enhance the comfort of interior spaces. A lighting design consultant and an acoustic design consultant were engaged during the design process to assist in the design of lighting and acoustic control systems which led to a fully programmable integrated solution. Mechanical systems were zoned for individual control for comfort and efficiency. The building also features low-flow fixtures to limit water consumption. After installation, all systems in the Gateway Building were commissioned to ensure their full functionality. Drought tolerant and native plantings were utilized for the landscaping to eliminate the need for irrigation beyond the establishment period. For stormwater management, new buildings include systems to treat storm water on site, eliminating the potential for runoff to adjacent properties. At the Gateway Building an infiltration basin was installed to collect and treat runoff from the new parking lot and roof surface.

Now complete, the Gateway Building is a testament to a new era at Loghaven, one which contrasts but complements previous development on this important site.