News
Urban Wilderness Gateway Park’s Gateway Pavilion Ribbon Cutting!
The ribbon on the newest phase of Urban Wilderness Gateway Park was cut on Thursday, February 5th! Sanders Pace worked alongside PORT Urbanism, JMT, FE Engineering, and FSC to realize this vision that began when we were brought on by the City of Knoxville in 2017. The new family-serving amenities include four bathrooms, shade structures, a water refilling station, picnic tables and play features that include slides and climbing areas built into the slopes, using natural boulders and landscaping.
The park is strategically located as a meet-up and jumping-off spot for local families looking to enjoy a leisurely day outing in the Urban Wilderness – or for outdoor adventurers visiting from other parts of the country, as word of Knoxville’s world-class mountain biking and water amenities spreads.
The Baker Creek Bike Park is less than a half-mile from the Urban Wilderness Gateway Park. The area is a nexus to a rich network of roughly 70 miles of trails.
The Gateway Park is one of the last pieces of the larger overall Urban Wilderness public amenities plan.
Over the course of a decade – with utility, road and parking upgrades, enhanced greenways, and the nearby Baker Creek pavilion – the City has invested about $11 million in creating an Urban Wilderness entryway experience and connection to the bike park.
Creating these unique new outdoor public amenities addresses multiple community needs. The investments build up Knoxville economically while benefiting Knoxville residents’ physical and mental health and improving the quality of life for families citywide.
Augusta Quarry featured in Architectural Record Magazine
The February issue of Architectural Record features a spread on Augusta Quarry, a reclaimed industrial qurry that’s now part of a large network of historic, cultural, and recreational sites near downtown Knoxville. Sanders Pace Architecture and PORT Urbanism worked alongside with the Aslan Foundation and the City of Knoxville to bring this space to life!
This semester Brandon is leading an advanced studio at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning and on Wednesday November 5th he will be sharing recent work as part of School of Architecture + Interior Design’s Lecture Series.
The lecture begins at 4:30pm in room 5401 at the Aronoff Center for Design and Art.
A link to the full lecture can be found HERE.
Sanders Pace Architecture honored with 6 awards at 2025 AIA East Tennessee Design Awards Gala
5 projects were selected for 6 awards at this year’s event. The Lakeshore Park Pavilions and Augusta Quarry at Fort Dickerson Park each received an Honor Award, Morgan Street House received a Merit Award and was the first ever recipient of the Chapter’s Committee on the Environment Award, and Fort Sanders Market and Spirits and Five Points Youth and Garden Center each received Citations.
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
SEEDS OF REGIONALISM THE CLAUSS LEGACY: EARLY MODERNISM IN THE SOUTH
A new exhibition on view September 5th – November 9th at the Knoxville Museum of Art!
This exhibition excavates the unheralded legacy of Alfred and Jane West Clauss, who, in 1939, created the first modern deed-restricted subdivision in America-known colloquially in Knoxville as “Little Switzerland.” In the process, the Clausses laid the groundwork for what we now recognize as regional modernism.
Through original artifacts—including photographs, drawings, posters, furniture, graphic maps, home videos, and timelines—Seeds of Regionalism traces the DNA of this architectural subdivision and explores how the Clausses’ move to East Tennessee inspired them to experiment with blending modernist ideas with local traditions and a strong sense of place.
Co-curated by John Sanders and Richard-Allen Foster
Architects Newspaper 2025 Best in Practice Awards
For the second year in a row, Sanders Pace Architecture has received Honorable Mention in The Architects Newspaper Best in Practice Awards as a medium-sized firm in the Southeast region.
Throughout the entries, winners, and jury deliberations for the 2025 edition, an emphasis on employee wellbeing and a studio’s impact on the industry at large and local communities remained top of mind for many. Many of these companies that stood out to the jury impressively leveraged scale, expertise, and influence for larger endeavors like conducting further impactful research, empowering other generations, and finding solutions for new, global challenges.
We have sincere appreciation for our staff for all of the effort they put in each and every day and so much gratitude for all of our clients and collaborators!
SPA research work included among Graham Foundation 2025 Grantees
We’re proud to announce that our research work has led to selection as one of this year’s Graham Foundation grantee projects! The grant will help fund our work on an upcoming exhibition at the Knoxville Museum of Art this Fall.
The Seeds of Regionalism: An Investigation into the Work of Alfred Clauss and James West Clauss in Knoxville, Tennessee will run at the @knoxvillemuseumofart from September 5 through November 9, 2025.
Sanders Pace Architecture’s National Award for Dogan-Gaither Flats featured in Knox Compass
For its work on historic Dogan-Gaither Flats, Sanders Pace Architecture has earned a 2025 Housing Award from the American Institute of Architects.
The AIA Housing Awards have highlighted sustainable, responsive, and innovative residential designs, showcasing a diverse range of housing types and architectural practices. Sanders Pace is one of eight firms to receive the award this year, which was announced last month at the AIA’s 2025 Conference in Boston.
The Dogan-Gaither Flats project involved the conversion of the former Dogan-Gaither Motor Court in East Knoxville into supportive housing for formerly incarcerated individuals transitioning back to society.
The civil rights-era motor court was a haven for African-American travelers during the segregation era. With an investment by founder Josh Smith and funding from the City of Knoxville, the 4th Purpose Foundation hired Sanders Pace to convert the motel into housing with 16 dual-occupancy one-bedroom affordable housing units.
The building was in serious disrepair prior to the renovation, and according to a news release Sanders Pace uncovered and utilized the original mid-century design elements while reactivating the spaces with light-filled connections to the exterior landscape.
The AIA award jury said Dogan-Gaither Flats is about renewal and rebirth.
“The project revitalizes a historic site while bolstering the community in a transitioning urban area,” the jury said. “It is also a project serving formerly incarcerated individuals transitioning back to society, a community entirely unseen and unserved. The project is looking to our past, present, and future simultaneously.”
Sanders Pace Architecture’s Cameron S. Bolin served as the lead designer and project manager through the design phases. Construction administration phase services were carried out by Aaron Pennington, along with Principal-in-Charge John L. Sanders.
Dogan-Gaither Flats recognized with AIA National Housing Award at 2025 Conference in Boston
SPA honored to receive National recognition for the revitalization of the Dogan-Gaither building during this year’s awards ceremony. We’re so appreciative of our client Fourth Purpose Foundation for an incredible journey and collaboration. The Dogan-Gaither Flats now provide supportive housing and skills training for recently incarcerated men who are re-integrating into the Knoxville community.
You can learn more about the project by clicking HERE.
Brandon Pace to serve as Keynote Speaker and 2025 Design Awards Chair at AIASC Annual Meeting
In a Keynote Lecture titled “Past/Present,” Brandon shared stories of Knoxville’s inner-city neighborhoods through a series of projects that illustrate how the social, economic, and cultural circumstances that shaped 20th century development in Knoxville inform the Firm’s design process. The talk focused on recent public, private, and institutional projects and the historic development patterns that shaped each site. Later that evening, Brandon also recognized work within the chapter during the President’s Reception & Awards Celebration.
