Institute for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing

The Institute for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing is the first advanced research building designed and built on the University of Tennessee Research Park at Cherokee Farm — setting an architectural tone that honors the site, including its agrarian past and proximity to the Tennessee River and nearby historic neighborhoods.

IAMM was purposely oriented on-site so the short end faced the neighborhood across the river and utilized materials — brick, zinc, copper, glass and aluminum — to lend a distinctive and beautiful aesthetic. The building program consists of office, research, seminar, and laboratory spaces, all dedicated to sophisticated research that allows construction and synthesis of materials on the minute scale of the nanometer. IAMM (previously called Joint Institute for Advanced Materials) partners researchers from UT, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the DOE.

Inside, offices and collaborative spaces are arranged along the perimeter to take advantage of natural light and views, while laboratories in need of highly-controlled environments are situated along the building's central spine. A central atrium acts as the primary vertical circulation space and functions as the main building entry. Accents of UT orange are carried throughout the space, especially in common areas, serving as focal points against the simple, raw interior finishes. Common spaces are intended for collaboration, with mobile whiteboards, whiteboard walls, and even writable tables.