First Creek Commons
A mixed-use development exploring the interconnected flow of wind, water, and people, leveraging a nearby waterway to support hemp fabric production, water management, and a connected retail environment.
Location: Old City, Knoxville, TN
Date: Fall 2024
Professor: Jeremy Magner
Peers: Hannah Kirby & Jenna Tiger
Schematic Design
Programmatic Design
Organized around a central atrium, the building connects public and private spaces, linking hemp production, water management, retail, education, and residential programs. Shared circulation areas foster interaction and visibility of sustainable processes, while maintaining separation for private living. The design emphasizes seamless integration of work, learning, commerce, and community in a dynamic mixed-use environment.
Basement Level 02: A water treatment facility filters and stores water from First Creek, supplying the building and hemp production facility above.
Basement Level 01: A hemp fabric production facility uses cistern water for machinery and fabrication. Artisans create products sold in the retail spaces above.
Level 01: Hemp-focused retail spaces showcasing artisan products, a coffee shop serving as a communal hub, and offices supporting the building’s operations.
Level 02: An education center for workshops, a display room for artisan pop-ups, six live-work units, and co-working spaces, blending public and private functions.
Level 03: Upper levels of six live-work units (three studios and three one-bedroom units), along with one one-bedroom and three two-bedroom units.
Level 04: Three studios, four one-bedroom units, and three two-bedroom units.
Roof Level: Residential access through the south fire-safety stairwell.
Structural Design
Type IV-C mass timber glulam structure
16.25” columns
31.5” deep beams
Three 40-foot bays spanning back towards the creek at 20’ on center.
Total square footage = 74,925 sq ft.
Envelope Design
The building features an exoskeleton paired with a terracotta rainscreen facade composed of louvers and tiles.
The exoskeleton improves energy efficiency by reducing thermal bridging, while the rainscreen provides sun shading, moisture protection, and temperature consistency. Louvers are strategically placed on facades with high solar exposure, and tiles cover areas with lower exposure, creating a continuous vertical rhythm across floors.
