Four architecture professors from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, helped transform an old rural West Tennessee homestead into a modern family oasis that communicates its owners’ commitment to sustainable farming practices.

For their work, they recently received a national housing award in the category of one- and two-family custom residences from the American Institute of Architects. The AIA is the leading organization of professional architects.

The project—Old Briar in Lauderdale County—was one of only 10 projects the AIA recognized across the United States. It is the work of Applied Research, a collaboration between Brian Ambroziak, Tricia Stuth, Ted Shelton and Katherine Ambroziak, professors in the UT College of Architecture and Design.

Old Briar belongs to clients who, after 25 years of working and living in Chicago, returned to the Tennessee community where they grew up to share their agricultural heritage and values of stewardship with their children and grandchildren. The property, an 80-acre working farm, communicates the owners’ respect for the landscape as a regional resource. It also incorporates modern elements and features.

The home is energy efficient and exceeds the 2030 Challenge benchmark for environmental performance. It uses 68 percent less energy than the 2030 baseline for single-family detached residences in the southern region.

Learn more about the Old Briar project at http://tinyurl.com/oxoyyj9.

Read the American Institute of Architects’ notes about the project at http://www.aia.org/practicing/awards/2015/housing-awards/OldBriar.

C O N T A C T :

Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lalapo@utk.edu)

Kiki Roeder (865-974-6713, kroeder@utk.edu)