Project Director

Etheredge, Jessica

Department Examiner

Hathcock, Sarah

Department

School of Professional Studies

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Community spaces are becoming increasingly important and they are not just a fun space that someone can visit every now and then. They are actually a way of promoting health, welfare, and connection throughout a community (Francis et al., 2012). Creating what is called a “third space” is increasingly important in a world that is becoming more solitary. I propose that the Old Brainerd Junior High is a great candidate for a space like this. The arts are proven to be an increasingly popular way to bring people together. Creative spaces are an effective tool to foster community development. It is a way to bring people together in a deeper and more meaningful way, by allowing people to express creativity and their culture. A community development review talks about how the arts are “an invitation to more intentionally consider culture and identity in their everyday activity” (Choi & Galloway, 2019). This goes beyond just crafts or art classes but provides a space for people to reflect on their own lives and how they relate to the community as a whole. This project is focused on the adaptive reuse of the Old Brainerd Junior High. Repurposing this existing school structure in order to best serve the community it surrounds. The project is located in the Brainerd neighborhood in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The neighborhood that the Old Brainerd Junior High is set in has a diverse demographic. The neighborhood varies in race, age, and income pretty widely (Census Profile). This emphasizes an importance to create a welcoming and inclusive space for a varying demographic. The whole design of this project hinders on the fact that it will be a space that appeals to everyone and has a place for everyone. There is a need for public spaces within this area, a survey was taken in the Brainerd neighborhood and the findings proved this notion. The Old Brainerd Junior High is a great candidate for providing this to the neighborhood. The building has a large amount of space that can be used in many different ways. The original design of the school can actually play large part in aiding the new use of the building and will not hinder the proposed new ideas. The Old Brainerd Junior High has significant historic character that should be preserved and restored. The school has been here since 1930 and was designed by the famous Chattanooga architect R.H. Hunt. through its Colonial Revival design and style on the exterior (U.S. Department of the Interior). The interior also has historical character that should be restored and paid attention too. Incorporating historic preservation and restoration is integral to this design as it is a common and loved building in the neighborhood. There is also a need for sustainability to be seen in this design. Sustainable design strategies will be implemented from the beginning of the design process to ensure that it is not overlooked. The preservation of this building is a green building strategy in itself, a famous quote by Carl Elefante saying, “The greenest building is…one that is already built” (Elefante).

Degree

B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.

Date

8-2026

Subject

Historic preservation--Tennessee--Chattanooga; Community centers--Design; Adaptive reuse of buildings; Historic buildings--Remodeling for other use; Interior architecture

Keyword

Interior Architecture; Adaptive Reuse; Community Center; Arts; Historic Preservation

Discipline

Historic Preservation and Conservation

Document Type

Theses

Extent

243 unnumbered leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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