Giving thanks

It’s a clear, crisp Thanksgiving Day in Norris. The rain from the first half of the week has moved on, leaving us with sunny skies today. Most of the trees have lost their leaves by now, and their branches fan out against the sky.

view of trees today while seated at kitchen table

On this day of giving thanks, we are thankful for the opportunity to experience living in the New Norris House. There are many things we appreciate about living here. To list just a few: the wide kitchen window, the skylight and the partitions that make interesting shadow patterns, the forest views, the comfy living room chairs, the long kitchen counter, the beautiful wood floors, the heat lamp in the bathroom, the cozy feeling created by the low ceiling in the bedroom, the pops of green from the houseplants, the way light streams in through the windows, the plants outside that will transform the landscape. We’re grateful to be living in a house with solid construction and careful design—architecture that leads to happiness.

skylight patterns and shadows

We wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a day in which you find much to be thankful for.

USGBC Tour

Before talking about the latest New Norris House happenings, I should introduce myself. My name is Eric Bennett, one of the Graduate Research Assistants for the New Norris House. I am currently in my final year of the Master of Architecture program at UTK. I received my undergraduate degree in architecture from Clemson University in 2007 and I was able to get a few years of professional experience before returning to school last year. This is my first semester being involved with the New Norris House and I will be specifically working to interpret all of the energy data that is being monitored in the home. I will also help lead several tours through the home.


Last week, the New Norris House hosted a tour for the local USGBC members. It was a great learning experience for the tour attendees as well as a test for the New Norris House team to answer some specific questions from well versed local professionals. The USGBC members were led through the different phases of the project's development, from the historical precedent of the Norris community, preliminary design, off-site and on-site construction, landscape design, and through the current Phase IV, energy and water monitoring programs.

While all of the tour guests were very impressed with the overall sustainability aspects of the home's design and systems integration, the greatest compliments were aimed towards the excellent craft of construction. With all the credit going to the "newly skilled" UT students involved with the project, the New Norris House was referred to as "a beautifully conceived and executed work". So to all of the current and past students involved with the project, your hard work and dedication is being recognized, well received, and will hopefully pave the way for more design-build projects to take place within the University. I am sure that the experience gained by working on the New Norris House will have an immeasurable impact on your future career. I am excited to be involved with such a great project and I look forward to sharing what we learn.

Monitoring Equipment

Thanks to Tony and Philip with ORNL for their all their help to setup our monitoring efforts for the house! Data is coming in and we hope to share some tidbits soon!

Give Thanks

So far things are coming along swiftly at the site despite weather setbacks. The East and South elevations are about 95% done with the furring and the insect screen has completely blanketed the Southern elevation. All that is left is to get the window blocking paired up with the supports for the steel canopies on both of these elevations. Passersby might be curious as to why we are placing screen on the elevations. This is because our siding is somewhat like vertical board and batten siding but without the battens. We hope the screens will prevent insects from nesting between the vertical planks of Atlantic White cedar.

It is exciting to see things showing progress as we attempt to complete the exterior in time before the end of the semester. Let's hope we can manage to find a break in weather this week so that our roofers and other site work can be completed before the week finishes out. Next week is Thanksgiving and of the many topics of discussion on the worksite include our hunger for the feasts that shall occur next week. This has been able to keep us striving along with that final goal of some accomplishment. Also this gives us an opportunity to give thanks for being able to work on such a project. I am thankful for this experience to work in a design/build project. I am also thankful for having such a great team of peers, professors, contractors, as well as other professionals that have contributed to the learning process this semester.