Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Tennessee: University Center Bridge

  • 01/01/20

When the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (UT) began upgrades on the university center — including a new student union and outdoor plaza — it was vital that the space be aesthetically pleasing while addressing the stormwater drainage issues that had plagued the campus for decades. The new Student Union project is organized around major circulation routes into and through the campus.

University of Tennessee

Photos courtesy of Belgard

“Our campus is close to the Tennessee River, so we have to mitigate stormwater runoff before it gets to the river,” Dan Smith, P.E., project manager at UT told the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute. To accomplish this, the university and project team installed permeable pavers manufactured by Belgard.

The project, dubbed the University Center Bridge, features an eco-friendly, durable concrete paver that reduces water runoff. The Bridge connects the campus classrooms on “The Hill” with the library and UT’s Neyland Football Stadium, creating a picturesque scene.

University of Tennessee

Naturally, the new Student Union complex is a high-traffic area when class is in session and on game days, while also acting as a special events space for gatherings, including live broadcasts. The University Center Bridge creates a strong visual connection between the east and west sides of the campus, using a basket-weave paver pattern that blends design, craftmanship and functionality. In fact, the permeable surface of the new installation enabled the university’s compliance with local stormwater regulations.

University of Tennessee

Completed in 2017, McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects & BarberMcMurry Architects teamed up on the design of the project. Rentenbach Constructors, Inc. was the general contractor, and Belgard Master Craftsman, Hickory Hardscapes completed the installation.

University of Tennessee

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2020 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.