CEC Joint Lunch Meeting with AIA Chattanooga
Presentation:
Cummins Falls State Park Visitor Center Project
Tinker Ma was tasked to design a new visitor center for Cummins Falls State Park. The design for this state-of-the-art facility draws heavily on the vernacular buildings found in the region. Modern technology such as insulating concrete forms, solar power and solar hot water systems are beautifully married to a natural and historic material palette of stone, timber and Corten steel.
The building houses interpretive exhibits, a snack bar, dining space, an event hall, offices, conference space and ancillary spaces. The project also includes significant outdoor spaces for groups to gather and for park ranger presentations.
Speakers:
Thomas Palmer, Principal / Design Director at Tinker Ma, LLC
Mr. Palmer studied pre-engineering, then completed his bachelor's degree in Architecture from Auburn University. He has completed many customized, sustainable design for a wide range of clients. His specialties: Commercial, Urban Design, Custom Residential, Hospitality, Food and Beverage, Multi-Family Housing, Higher Education, Institutional, Historic Preservation, Breweries, Distilleries and more. He has worked with other architects, engineers, project owners and contractors producing LEED certified projects since 2003.
The visitor center project was nominated for BRIC award in 2021. Building Recognition in Chattanooga Awards will return in 2023. Jim Williamson will join us to provide updates on the award process.
About Tinker Ma
Tinker Ma is a Chattanooga architecture and design firm stewarding sustainable community enhancement through creativity, professional leadership, and technical expertise.
Partners, Thomas Palmer, Craig Peavy, Jessica Stack, and Trey Wheeler lead a team of 16 architects and designers. Our collective portfolio encompasses a broad range of project types and users, including hospitality; urban design and placemaking; education; healthcare; multi-family housing; food and beverage; state and local government; retail and entertainment; technical and industrial; and custom, single-family residential projects.
About Cummins Fall State Park
Cummins Falls State Park is an idyllic, but rugged, 306-acre day-use park located nine miles north of Cookeville on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River on the Eastern Highland Rim. Located in the Cordell Hull Watershed, the area has been a scenic spot and swimming hole for local residents of Jackson and Putnam counties for more than 100 years. Cummins Falls is Tennessee’s eighth largest waterfall in volume of water and is 75 feet high.