What’s prettier than an orchid? I can’t keep one blooming longer than a season (yes, I’ve tried the ice cube trick and watched YouTube videos), but I appreciate those who can. A city is a little like an orchid, in that it needs the right balance of care, creativity and sunlight to thrive.
The 46th annual Keep Knoxville Beautiful Orchids Awards, held Nov. 5 at the Knoxville Museum of Art, honored some of our city’s best caretakers. Since 1979, the awards have celebrated design, preservation, public art and outdoor spaces that elevate the local landscape.
This year’s winners reflected the full bloom of people, projects and places that make Knoxville shine. So, who won? Let’s get into it! We’ll take a blobby, vaguely orchid-shaped, clockwise tour of our winners, starting with downtown proper.
Pier 865 at the Cradle of Country Music Park (IOK story) topped the Public Art category. I don’t want to invoke WWIII in the comments here, but it’s safe to say this $1.2 million sculpture in the heart of downtown brought out the art critic in us all. Whether you love it, loathe it, or just feel confused, it’s been quite the conversation piece. Other nominees included ECO-Scape Imaginings at Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, KnoxWalls at Emory Place (IOK story), and the new mural at Cal Johnson Community Center (IOK story).
Let’s skip a stone across the river to Redesign/Reuse winner Johnson Architecture (IOK story) for the adaptive reuse of its headquarters. Located in the South Knoxville Waterfront District, the design of the restored building honored the original industrial character of the structure while modernizing it for contemporary office needs.
When Johnson Architecture (JAI) acquired the property, the structure and site needed care to return to vitality. “Rather than remove any trace of the building and grounds, we decided on a design route that would blend our needs with a mission to preserve as much of the original form as possible,” said JAI’s Jeff Williamson, vice president and principal architect.
Two other JAI projects were nominees in the same category – Kern’s Food Hall (IOK stories) and Vida and The Vault (IOK stories on Vida and The Vault). Other Redesign/Reuse nominees included Fort Sanders Market & Liquor, The Gateway – Metro Drug Coalition, Historic Rule House and Redeemer Church of Knoxville.
Another southside project, Augusta Quarry, earned the City of Knoxville Bright Spot award. Its reopening this summer made a big splash (IOK story). The City partnered with Sanders Pace Architecture, Port Urbanism, JMT Engineering and Haines Structural Group, with funding from Aslan Foundation and construction by Southern Constructors Inc. Testimonial: My first (in a while) dive into that freakishly turquoise water was a highlight of my year.
River-hop! Now we’re on the University of Tennessee campus, where new construction claimed two different categories.
The winner of Regreening was the UTK Regional Stormwater Park, located on the corner of 20th and Andy Holt Drive next to Rocky Top Dining Hall. Designed by Lose Designs and built by Southern Constructors, the system captures and filters up to 155,000 gallons of runoff from nearby campus buildings for campus irrigation using a multi-step process of screening, microfiltration and UV treatment. Beyond its sustainability impact, the park offers students and faculty a tranquil green space for outdoor dining and relaxation — a model of functional beauty in urban stormwater management.
A few blocks away sits the New Architecture winner, UT’s Institute of Agriculture’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Building. Designed by BarberMcMurry Architects with Lord Aeck Sargent as laboratory consultant, and built by The Christman Company, the four-story structure features biophilic planters, a research patio garden, and a green roof that doubles as an “exterior living room.”
The jury praised the building’s “classic yet above-and-beyond design,” recognizing its aesthetic appeal and environmental stewardship, including the preservation of old-growth trees and a green roof that absorbs roughly 80% of rainfall on site. Meeting the State of Tennessee’s High Performance Building Requirements (equivalent to LEED Silver or better), the ANRB integrates nature, research and sustainability into one thoughtful campus landmark.
Nice work, Knoxville! Just three-quarters of the city to go.
From there we’ll stretch westward to the Outdoor Space winner: three minimalist Lakeshore Park Pavillions by Sanders Pace Architecture, rewarded for their low-profile siting, usability and harmony with the natural environment. As a sportsball mom I’ve appreciated the curiously pleasant experience they offer. Other nominees included Covenant Health Park (IOK stories), First Creek at Austin Phase 2 (IOK story), The Lawson Family Foundation Offices, Liberty Place, Lululemon Store and Sunsphere Welcome Center (IOK story).
Circling north we come to Community Project winner ReOak-Oakwood Lincoln Park. Led by Rebecca Harman, this neighborhood-driven effort is restoring the oak canopy that once defined Oakwood-Lincoln Park. The inaugural community tree-planting day in February marked just the beginning — residents can stay up to date on the next planting day here.
Knox County Schools Bright Spot winner Fulton Arboretum and Gardens has been a story on my to-write list all fall. During the spring, students learn to cultivate and harvest vegetables and flowers. The student Gardening Club members take home their harvests home for their families and earn community service hours. It began as an idea from longtime educator Karen Wilkinson, who envisioned expanding the school’s original 1999 garden into a full-campus arboretum. This year, Fulton officially earned Level 1 Arboretum Certification – congrats!
Heading east …
Knox County Bright Spot lands us at French Broad Veterans Memorial Park. With initial momentum from East Tennessee Community Design Center, BarberMcMurry worked with Legacy Parks to design the Veterans Memorial Park on a bluff overlooking the French Broad River and the East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery. The cemetery frequently has multiple burials per day, resulting in families having little time to honor or grieve their loved ones. The park and pavilion provide that space for anyone honoring a veteran. BarberMcMurry completed the design with Hedstrom Landscape Architecture.
One more stop as we circle around: Ijams Nature Center, which received the Mary Lou Horner Award. As a South Knoxville resident, I frequently have to pinch myself that this all-things-outdoorsy oasis exists just minutes from the center-city. There’s more still to come – see the master plan here. Sarah Brobst, visitor services director, is a natural resource in and of herself, fully deserving of this year’s Felicia Award.
A handful more roving winners to shout out: WM, for the Green At Work award; Sylvia and Wayne McLaurin, for the Volunteer of the Year award; and Theta Chi, for Adopt-a-Road Group of the Year.
Congrats to all, and thank you to the fine folks at Keep Knoxville Beautiful and its volunteers for doing the heavy lifting all year long. Stats between June 2024 and July 2025:
- 457 Cleanups completed
- 113,781 Lbs. of trash collected
- 7,004 Volunteers participated
- 18,136 Volunteer hours served
- 126 Adopt-a-Road Groups
- 27 Beautification projects
- 47 Events with recycling
- 7,226 People educated