From Atlanta Style & Design, Summer 2025. For years, Susan and Bill Varner had been keeping an eye on idyllic land on the Tennessee River. Formerly farmland, Arcadia Peninsula had been divided into a small number of unique estate lots in Knoxville, Tennessee. “We used to boat by the tract of land; Bill really wanted to build there,” says Susan …
By Jeff Williamson When I was a student, our cafeteria doubled as a stage, assemblies were held in the gym, and everyone had a locker—along with a combination they struggled to remember. Those spaces were purely functional, offering little more than a place to learn the basics and move from one class to another. Fast forward to today, and the …
From Retrofit Magazine, May 13, 2025. Generations of locals fondly remember the scent of fresh-baked bread wafting from the facility, where Kern’s iconic yellow-packaged loaves were baked daily. Founded by Peter Kern in the 1860s, the bakery relocated to South Knoxville in 1931 where it operated as a regional powerhouse for more than 60 years. As time passed, the factory …
From The McMorrow Reports, March 31, 2025. When it comes to healthcare facilities, great design is more about the experiences of those who interact within the space than about an innovative façade. My healthcare clients include two major health systems and seven hospital campuses, and I have concepted plans for freestanding facilities like orthopedic and urgent care clinics. Despite the …
Johnson Architecture is proud to announce that First Creek at Austin – Phase 1, a project by Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC), has received two distinguished awards from the Urban Land Institute (ULI). The honors were presented on April 30 during a ceremony in Nashville. Transforming community through vision and design As Knoxville’s first mixed-income community, First Creek at Austin …
Johnson Architecture has hired University of Tennessee graduate Gabrielle Howard as an intern architect and landscape architect. Howard earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 2022 and a Master of Landscape Architecture in 2023 from the UT College of Architecture and Design. She worked for one year as an architectural intern at R2R Studio in Knoxville in schematic design, concept design, …
Johnson Architecture has hired University of Tennessee graduate JD Schumacher as an intern architect. Schumacher studied at UT’s College of Architecture and Design, where he was named a 2023 Distinguished Design Award finalist. He interned at Johnson Architecture for two summers, in 2021 and 2022, and now joins as a full-time member of the firm. Schumacher previously interned at Boral …
Johnson Architecture has hired University of Tennessee graduate Deborah “Debbie” McCarter as an intern architect. McCarter graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Architecture from the UT College of Architecture and Design and worked for three years as an architectural associate at R2R Studio in Knoxville. “Debbie already has considerable experience in commercial, hospitality and residential projects,” said Daryl Johnson, …
Johnson Architecture has earned a Brick in Architecture Award from the Brick Industry Association for its design of the University of Tennessee’s Rocky Top Dining Hall in recognition of the versatility and beauty of brick in modern buildings across the world. Wienerberger AG, an Austrian brick maker and the world’s largest producer of bricks, started the Brick in Architecture Awards …
First Creek at Austin Phase 1, designed by Johnson Architecture, has earned a 2023 Keep Knoxville Beautiful Orchids Award in the new architecture category. Award winners were announced at a ceremony on Feb. 16. The Orchids Awards are presented annually to recognize Knoxville’s most beautiful properties and the local businesses and organizations who work to create them. Owned and managed …
