Hands-on Learning at the University of Memphis

Words: Marika Snider

One of the biggest technical challenges for architecture students is understanding how to draw proper wall sections, especially with rainscreen technology. After more than 15 years of teaching, I have found that when students build full scale, with real materials, they retain the knowledge of that construction long after the course is completed and are better able to draw adaptations of that technology. What better way to teach rainscreen technology along with structural systems than to have students build a brick-block wall with flashing, insulation, and a mortar net? So, on a hot, humid day in September, my co-instructor, Dr. Jennifer Barker, and I brought 25 fourth-year architecture and interior architecture students to Aztec Masonry in Cordova, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis.

The goal of the fourth-year fall design studio at the University of Memphis is for students to demonstrate that they can develop an integrated project including the site, the building, and the interiors. In addition, we wanted the students to learn about a material in depth and to craft spaces that evoked an emotional response. So, we conceived a project to design a thermal bathhouse to be located along the riverfront. This would require students to develop solutions to technical issues related to the design and maintenance of baths/pools along with human-centered design of a space for relaxation and rejuvenation while exploring the possibilities of masonry. The site for this iconic building would be downtown, with the Mississippi River and a bike path to the west, the Bass Pro Pyramid to the north, and the I-40 Memphis Welcome Center to the south.

Naturally, the semester began with a trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where the students personally experienced a thermal bath and other treatments at Buckstaff Historic Bathhouse. They also visited the additional structures along Bathhouse Row. The students were tasked with photographing and sketching brick details from Hot Springs. Upon returning to Memphis, they also collected images of five different local examples of decorative, structural, and landscape masonry solutions. Armed with four weeks of research on the site, thermal baths, and innovative masonry, the students arrived at Aztec Masonry ready to get messy.

Melchor Olguin, the owner of Aztec Masonry, enlisted the help of masonry industry suppliers to introduce students to the components of masonry including flashing, reinforcing, brick ties, and mortar. Additionally, Nick May from Midwest Brick and Block showcased the wide variety of available concrete blocks. On the first day, students learned the fundamentals of the materials and components, and on the second day, they learned how to lay CMU. They began with practice mortar until they could demonstrate the ability to lay level and even block. I think the foremen enjoyed telling architecture students to rip out and redo any defective masonry. Even Dr. Barker and I had to remove an entire row of block because we had not properly installed our horizontal reinforcing. Eventually, each team showed that they could lay block, and we all graduated to proper mortar. On the third day, they finished the mock-ups of a brick-block wall with reinforcing, seismic wall ties, insulation, flashing, and a mortar net.

On the fourth day, the vestiges of Hurricane Helene swept through Memphis. Even with a canopy, the site was unworkable because water swept through our work area. This afforded the students an extra day to work out the details of their creative masonry expression. During the day off for the deluge, each team developed their own design for a masonry wall. They were told to be experimental and push the limits of masonry. And, the masons would select the winning wall. The results were impressive.

On the fourth and fifth days of construction, each of the eight teams built completely unique walls based on something they wanted to experiment with. The winning team created a multi-color herringbone screen wall.

After the hands-on portion of the project, students returned to the studio to each develop a design for the thermal bath facility. Each student was allowed to chart their own approach to the baths and to customize the architectural program, but all projects were required to include an indoor and outdoor bath (individual or communal), changing rooms, massage rooms, wellness space (such as a yoga room), offices, and mechanical spaces. Students showcased a variety of ways to use masonry and incorporated what they learned from their hands-on project into the design of their building.

One student, Sheila, literally integrated a version of this wall as an interior screen to separate the mediation space from the rest of the facility. While Angy incorporated ideas of the herringbone pattern into her interior walls. For others, this was quite challenging because they did not want to literally incorporate their mockup wall. For example, Robert Hayes and Bryan Torres experimented with compression structures and built two different types of arched openings. Neither of their buildings included any curved windows, but they learned about how masonry structures prefer narrow tall openings to wide windows and the design of their facades incorporate these ideas.

Another one of the most innovative designs was completed by Diego Sosa, Katherine Montoya, and Marleny Granados. They manipulated the brick to curve in and out on both sides as if pushed by large balls. Diego translated this into an undulating tent-like structure made from brick on reinforced concrete, while Marleny’s building created orthogonal pockets of space using brick.

The final activity for this semester-long design project was a technical review, where students created a 24”x36” board showcasing their innovative use of masonry, which was juried by masonry industry representatives. The success of this project can be judged based on the inventive uses of masonry in the design of the buildings and the improvement in technical skills as seen in their wall sections. However, this success stems from a great partnership with industry professionals who were willing to share their knowledge and facilities with a group of inexperienced students. The hope is that this type of partnership will improve young architects’ confidence in designing with masonry, an appreciation of the expertise of masons, and a collaborative attitude.

_________

Students include Binta Balde, Salsabila Banks, Breanna Coleman, Sheila Espino, Ahmadia Hines, John Riley Hubbert, Anies Kunda, Janna LaBuda, Safari Love, Angy Romero, Zoe Swick, Bryan Torres, Alexys Trejo, Clinton Anderson, Jayla Blake, Isaac Cavander, Marleny Granados, Robert Hayes, Ethan King, Sumeyah Mohamed, Katherine Montoya, Emily Roque, Elizabeth Rosas, Jacob Sells, and Diego Sosa.

Hands-on Learning at the University of Memphis

Facial Recognition for Masonry Companies

2025 SkillsUSA National Competition Recap

Empower Your Team to Help Prevent Cyberattacks

The True Costs of Traditional Wood Bucks: Beyond the Lumber Bill