July 16, 2024
Kathryn Webb Designs for Social Impact
By the time Future100 honoree Kathryn Webb entered architecture school at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as an undergrad, she was already seasoned at exploring new spaces. “My mom’s job took my family to many states—Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, New Mexico, Illinois, Tennessee—which allowed me to experience new things and practice adaptability at a young age,” she explains. In high school Webb also completed a pivotal homestay in Germany through her region’s German American Partnership Program (GAPP), which opened up the world and her ability to become attuned to the nuanced design of a structure or gathering point. “I’m fascinated with people watching; I love seeing people interact with each other and their surroundings,” she says, noting that she has always been drawn to depicting rich scenes that “speculate and propose captivating narratives.”
In Webb’s standout project Sunsphere she transforms remnants of the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville into a “community-involved urban farm” and research lab that benefits local residents. In her School for the Deaf design proposal, Webb imagines a sensory garden and inclusive learning environment realized through playful details like floor cubbies and a futuristic courtyard space with integrated stepping stools. “These two projects were my favorite to design,” she admits, explaining that they most strongly align with the types of work she someday hopes to do full-time. “My professor for both projects, Rana Abudayyeh, pushed me to explore form through computational software, such as Grasshopper and Houdini, and fostered a studio environment that allowed me to investigate meaningful programs,” says Webb, adding that elements discovered through her exploration with form and research inspired the concepts and materials for each project.
“I’m interested in projects that work toward social impact,” she says. “My mom is in the mental health field, and my dad is an alcohol and drug counselor,” Webb elaborates. “Growing up, I saw their passion for the people they serve and their positive impact on others’ lives, and I aspire to do that through design.”
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