FOURTH / FIFTH YEAR UNDERGRADUATE ARCHITECTURE STUDY OPTION
AT THE NASHVILLE CIVIC DESIGN CENTER WITH T. K. DAVIS

Beginning in Spring 2007, up to four UT undergraduate fourth and/or fifth year architecture students will have the opportunity to study urban design and theory in Nashville at the Civic Design Center (NCDC) in downtown Nashville on 2nd Avenue overlooking the Cumberland River. The Civic Design Center, founded in 2000, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating the quality of Nashville’s built environment and promoting public participation in the creation of a more beautiful and functional city for all. Nashville is an economically and culturally vibrant city, now facing challenges of rapid growth, both in its downtown and at the periphery.

The staff and interns at the NCDC conduct monthly Urban Design Forums, as well as Architecture and Urbanism Exhibitions and Film Events, Urban Design Workshops on an as needed basis, and Neighborhood Revitalization Studies on request. In 2005, the Center released The Plan of Nashville, published by Vanderbilt University Press. For more information on the Civic Design Center as a think tank for research, creative work and education on urban design, and The Plan of Nashville, visit www.civicdesigncenter.org.

The educational experience at the NCDC incorporates an immersion in the activities of the Center. Students participate in Urban Design Forums, design workshops, field trips, staff meetings, and continuing education discussions. They also have an opportunity to visit architectural practices in the city. Design reviews in Nashville typically include professional practitioners, government officials, planners, developers, and contractors.

Architecture students at the NCDC take an urban design vertical studio course (six credit hours) that focuses on current problems in civic design that while situated in real, local conditions also reflect the much wider national and global discussion of urban design. A seminar in topics of urban design history, theory and practice (three credit hours) is offered concurrently. Credit hours taught in design and theory at the NCDC cost the same tuition per hour as on the Knoxville campus.

In addition to the nine credit hour package of urban design studio and seminar, additional elective courses may be taken at many other colleges and universities in the Metro Nashville area, including Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State University, Belmont University, Lipscomb University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Fisk University and Watkins College of Art & Design. Students register on their own for these courses, but must petition the University of Tennessee School of Architecture in advance of taking the course(s) in order to transfer credit upon successful completion. Students are also responsible for making their own housing arrangements.

Students with questions regarding studying urban design in Nashville should contact Associate Professor T. K. Davis, Design Director (tkdavis@utk.edu).

Application:
Students need to submit an application by May 15th, 2007 to Carla Wolfenbarger, Dean's Office Faculty. The application form (Petition for Off-Campus Study) is available at http://www.arch.utk.edu/course.html.

Please attach: student name, program description, name of professor for off-campus program, an essay why you are interested in the program and why it supports you educational goals.

TREES AND URBAN FORESTRY

The importance of trees and urban forestry in America is increasingly on the national radar screen. More and more cities are introducing ambitious urban reforestation plans, often partnering with tree-planting groups and nonprofit organizations devoted to urban ecology. Los Angeles, for example, has embarked on a program to add one million new trees throughout the city. This course will provide an introduction to urban trees, and the role of trees as a vital component of civic design. It will incorporate guided walking tours, both in downtown Nashville and on the Vanderbilt campus as an arboretum to promote tree observation, identification and the discussion of tree management issues.

The content of this course will set the stage for subsequent discussion at the Civic Design Center on managing Nashville’s urban forest, considered in terms of best practices nationally and benchmarking goals for the urban tree canopy.

The course complements and extends issues raised in prior courses offered by the Civic Design Center. It is intended to be accessible for someone new to the subject of trees and urban forestry.

Curriculum
June 5: Introduction to Urban Trees
In this initial class, we will discuss the questions “what are urban forestry, urban ecology and green infrastructure?” The benefits of tree will be discussed, from the perspectives of ecosystem services, economics, health and well being, and aesthetics. The class will include a brief overview of how a tree works, explaining the roles of roots and shoots, meristems and cambium, as well as xylem and phloem.

June 12: Campus Tree Walk
We will walk the Vanderbilt Campus as an arboretum with the University’s landscape architect Pam Sevy. On the walk, we will observe trees issues discussed in the initial class meeting, and practice tree identification with “What Tree is That?”

June 19: Urban Trees and Design
This class meeting will address urban tree issues, including root space, damage to trunk and branches, soil conditions, water conditions, pollution, and tree care (watering, mulching pruning and monitoring). We will also focus on designing with trees in mind, covering the concepts of tree box design (size, guards versus grates, mulch, etc.), structural soils, root channels, and “right street, right place.” Finally, this session will cover LID and trees, both in terms of energy efficiency and storm water management.

June 26: Downtown Nashville Tree Walk
Splitting into small groups with guest leaders, we will walk and observe tree issues discussed in previous meetings. We will also practice tree identification with “What Tree is That?”

Instructor
Heather Langford holds a master’s degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she focused on Social Ecology and Community Development. Prior to moving to Nashville, Ms. Langford developed and taught classes in urban forestry with the Urban Ecology Institute in Boston and the Casey Tree Endowment Fund in Washington, D.C. She serves on the Metro Nashville Tree Board.

Location
All four classes will be held on Tuesdays from 5:15 – 6:45 p.m. at the Nashville Civic Design Center located at Butler’s Run, with the exception of the Vanderbilt Walking Tour, which will meet on campus.

Tuition
Tuition is $160, and the course is open to everyone interested. Tuition for the course helps underwrite the Civic Design Center, and as a consequence, no discounts or scholarships are available.

Registration
Please send name, e-mail address, telephone number and a check payable to:
The Nashville Civic Design Center
138 Second Avenue North - Suite 106
Nashville, TN 37201
T 615.248.4280

T. K. Davis
Design Director, Nashville Civic Design Center
Associate Professor, University of Tennessee School of Architecture

T. K. Davis holds Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from Cornell University, where he studied under Colin Rowe, O.M. Ungers, and the legendary group of faculty known as "The Texas Rangers." Between 1977 and 1984, Davis practiced architecture in Hartford and Boston, and he is a Registered Architect. Since 1981, he has had a collaborative design partnership with Marleen K. Davis, which has resulted in international competition awards, and subsequent publication and exhibitions. Davis is the past recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship in Architecture for Italy, as well as the National Institute for Architectural Education Traveling Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome.

Beginning in 1984, T. K. Davis taught at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture until joining the University of Tennessee, where he has taught advanced level architectural and urban design and theoryas an Associate Professor since 1994. He has also developed and taught courses in “Architecture, the City and Film,” as well as “Practice Management Challenges and Opportunities in the New Economy.”

T. K. Davis holds a Certificate in Real Estate Development from the Urban Land Institute. He is certified by the National Charrette Institute (NCI) as a NCI Charrette Planner, and as an NCI Public Meeting Facilitator. He has been Design Director at the Nashville Civic Design Center since June 2004, and serves as President of the Tennessee Foundation for Architecture.