Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Tennessee, Knoxville Honored With Awards for Beautification Efforts

  • 03/01/19

KNOXVILLE, TN – The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) has been honored for its efforts to beautify campus by the 2019 Orchid Awards, a Keep Knoxville Beautiful program that celebrates Knoxville and Knox County’s most attractive properties.

Awards were presented in seven categories. The Ken and Blaire Mossman Building won in the new architecture category, while UT Gardens received the Mary Lou Horner Beautification Award.

Named for the late Ken and Blaire Mossman, the 221,000-square-foot, six-floor Mossman Building opened in September 2018. The building houses microbiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, psychology, and nutrition. It features interactive classrooms, gathering spaces and study areas throughout the building, and a checkerboard theme on the exterior. The building’s collegiate Gothic style links it thematically with other new campus buildings.

Recognized in 2013 as the official botanical gardens of Tennessee, the UT Gardens function as an outdoor laboratory to evaluate the performance and landscape use of every type of plant, from trees and shrubs to annuals and perennials to ornamental grasses and aquatic plants. The gardens are a part of the UT Institute of Agriculture.

The Orchid Awards have been held annually since 1979.

Featured

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.

  • Fargo, N.D., Starts Construction on Consolidated Elementary School

    Fargo Public Schools in Fargo, N.D., recently announced the beginning of construction on a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with ICON Architectural Group and Kraus-Anderson Construction on the new Horace Mann Elementary School.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.