[Knoxville] By Design Art Salon

Several of MHM’s team members exhibited work at the annual [Knoxville] By Design Art Salon. As part of National Architecture Week, the “First Friday pop-up gallery celebrates the vast range of original works of art created by architects and related professionals in East Tennessee.”

MHM’s Michelle Benjamin is part of our Interior Design team and has an extensive art background, which includes abstract painting. Michelle exhibited two new pieces, “Reckoning” (above) and “Distant”. MHM Architect, Adam Buchanan exhibited his handmade banjos (above). Each piece is thoughtfully crafted from natural materials including gourds.

At MHM we pride ourselves on our team’s diverse creative backgrounds and interests outside of architecture. These artistic pursuits offer unique perspectives and critical thinking tools that inform our design process and the final spaces we create.

Park(ing) Day 2021

At MHM, we recognize the importance of being involved in improving our community.  We encourage employees to get involved in organizations they are passionate about by volunteering their time and resources.  One such organization, Wesley House Community Center, is at the center of this year’s MHM PARK(ing) Day installation.  The mission of Wesley House is to “empower and serve the Mechanicsville, Lonsdale and Beaumont communities in Knoxville, TN by providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible childcare, social connection in the senior citizen population, and fulfilling the emerging needs of the 37921 zip code”

PARK(ing) Day is an annual event that challenges us to re-imagine the use of downtown street parking to host a variety of uses, including architecture, that engage with the community and challenge our preconceived notions of how public space can be used.  Working with Wesley House Knoxville, our team developed an imaginative play space and arts and crafts activities that will be donated to Wesley House after this year’s event.  The MHM team was delighted to not only support Wesley House, but also to take home the 2021 Award for Best Overall Installation.

AIA 2030 Commitment Signatories

2030 CHALLENGE: OFFICIAL SIGNATORIES

MHM is proud to announce that we are officially signatories of the AIA 2030 Commitment Program and its goal of carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030.

“The mission of the AIA 2030 Commitment is to support the 2030 Challenge and transform the practice of architecture in a way that is holistic, firm-wide, project based, and data-driven. By prioritizing energy performance, participating firms can more easily work toward carbon neutral buildings, developments and major renovations by 2030.”

At MHM we recognize that the design profession has a responsibility to protect the environment and natural resources. MHM approaches every project with the goal of contributing to a built environment that holistically supports and improves our community and culture--we work with each of our clients to find the innovative solutions for their unique needs and goals. Through our adoption of the AIA 2030 Challenge, we will continue to push our established sustainable design practices forward, creating resilient buildings that can realize significant contributions to the success of our clients and the future of our planet.

LONSDALE ELEMENTARY GROUNDBREAKING

On Monday, March 24th Knox County Schools held an groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of the new Lonsdale Elementary School. This 94,000 square foot facility will serve a tight-knit community in North Knoxville. The school is designed to fit efficiently onto a challenging, urban site and meet Knox County’s rigorous program standards as well as the community’s priorities. MHM is teamed with Rouse Construction Company to deliver this project in time to open for the 2022 school year. Several news outlets were on hand to capture the exciting community event, including The Knox News Sentinel.