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Fit and Feel, Attainable, and Efficient Homes in Tennessee

October 8, 2026

Lilly Street

E8CDC Builds on Small Lots in Hilly Eastern Tennessee

Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation (E8CDC) is expanding housing opportunities in their corner of Northeast Tennessee and has been a valued long-term partner of the Front Porch Initiative (FPI). After finishing a home together in 2022, we’re celebrating another recently completed infill house—a new house on a vacant or underused lot in a existing neighborhood—this time just one mile from downtown Bristol, TN!

Meeting the Challenge

In April of 2023, E8CDC acquired a small, steeply sloped parcel in Bristol, TN, a lot condition that is common in this corner of Tennessee. E8CDC received U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds through the Northeast Tennessee/Virginia HOME Consortium to conduct the environmental review, demolish the existing neglected house, and site survey.

The lot is considered nonconforming because it doesn’t meet minimum lot area required by Bristol Zoning Code. In addition, the site’s layout requires a zoning variance to meet the required side setbacks. However, even with the variance, the buildable area of the site was only 35 feet by 42 feet.

The small buildable footprint and significant slope in grade were major factors in planning the house. The Front Porch Initiative modified Auburn University Rural Studio (AURS) Patriece’s prototype from a two-story house into a one-story, two bedroom, one bathroom home. This variation has a zero-step accessible entry into the main floor at street level and a walk-out basement below. The basement helps manage the steep slope, while providing space for the water heater and mechanical systems, keeping them inside the thermal envelope of the building and thereby lengthening the equipment’s lifespans.

Strategic Building

Once the original home was demolished and the disturbed soil removed, E8CDC and FPI rotated the home so that the long side would be parallel to the road. That orientation allows the basement foundation walls to be designed to act as retaining walls for a parking pad on the high side of the site. A key takeaway from this project was how to use existing site features to our advantage, retaining earth and enhancing site access.

In October 2025, E8CDC hired a general contractor to work alongside their new construction manager to oversee the project on-site. They opted for a poured-in-place concrete wall instead of a CMU block wall, allowing them to quickly complete a stronger and water-tight foundation, which was ready by mid-October. By the end of the month, the team had finished the floor system, framed the walls, erected roof trusses, and applied exterior sheathing, significantly speeding up the construction schedule to meet their grant deadlines.

Home Performance

Throughout construction, a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rater assessed this home. E8CDC was familiar with the HERS rater, who evaluated the East Unaka home completed in 2021. The assessment included a mid-construction blower door test, which examines how airtight the home is, calculating the home’s air infiltration rate in air changes per hour (ACH). The lower the ACH, the tighter the thermal envelope and the better the home’s energy efficiency. The goal is always to mitigate air infiltration, and a mid-construction check allows for improvement. We were pleased that the final blower door test results were low 2.1 ACH (air changes per hour), a low score for a home (code requires 5 ACH)! Finally, the rater evaluated the finished house, rating it with a HERS Index. Because this home was built with such a tight envelope, the homeowner minimizes air leakage which reduces stress on the air conditioning systems, saving money and staying comfortable.

Balancing Affordability Opportunities

The HUD grant that funded this home has caps on buyer income and rental reimbursement. For a two-bedroom home, the maximum homebuyer income is limited to 80% AMI (area median income), and the maximum rental reimbursement is $1,100/month. These requirements influenced E8CDC’s decision to keep the home as rental housing, to better recover the cost of its construction.

Rural Studio is proud the home is finally complete! Even though there were challenges, we are honored to collaborate with housing partners that are persistent and dedicated to providing housing affordability in their community!

Watauga Street

Gentle Density

While Lilly St began development, E8CDC also reached out to Rural studio about another site about 40 minutes away in Johnson City, TN. Based on the city official’s desire to increase residential density, Eastern 8 was originally considering building a quadplex on a site. But eventually, they decided that subdividing would be more appropriate for the neighborhood: they divided the lot in half and developed two separate duplexes.

An Adaptable Prototype That Meets Local Needs

Auburn University Rural Studio had previously designed a duplex that was built for the New Orleans area Habitat for Humanity to hold as workforce housing. Because E8CDC wanted to use a duplex for rental property, AURS was able to advance this previous design into a prototype that can be flexible to multiple housing needs: AURS created interchangeable options of bathroom and storage spaces. The adaptability of the duplex prototype allowed E8CDC to market the project to a specific housing need. E8CDC selected the option with one bathroom and a laundry room then requested that the units be fully accessible, as they intend the units to be rentals for veterans and want to support residents throughout different stages of life.

The two duplexes, instead of one quadplex, fit into the urban fabric of the single-family home neighborhood, and creates new opportunities for shared outdoor space and resources. The design encourages neighborly interaction: residents share off-street parking at the front of the site, share access to the duplexes through an interior courtyard with interior-facing porches.

Energy Efficient Improvements

Recognizing that the units will be made available to residents who may be on fixed incomes, E8CDC agreed to pursue ENERGY STAR certification to reduce energy costs, thereby ensuring long-term affordability to residents. Energy modeling estimates that, because of efficient design, the home will consume 46% less energy than a typical US home. The energy improvements include improved air sealing, balanced ventilation, high-performance heating and cooling systems, and beyond-code insulation levels.

Construction of the duplexes began in October of 2025, and they were completed in July of 2026, with renters already approved to move into three of the four units. The project follows HUD income-based affordability guidelines, serving residents earning 80% AMI or below for rental monthly rates.

E8CDC hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony in July. The Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises (FAHE) provided some of the grant funding for this project, were in attendance to celebrate the project opening. The Front Porch Initiative, members of the E8CDC board, and local community members all gathered to celebrate this successful effort to provide east Tennessee with housing that is affordable to those who live there!

Amanda Pinkstaff: Cooking full circle

October 8, 2026

For Amanda Pinkstaff, becoming Rural Studio’s new Food Service Supervisor was part of her journey home. She says she was amazed to find her dream job in her hometown. A native of Greensboro, Amanda says she accidentally fell in love with cooking during her time at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL while she worked for Manna Grocery. In the coming years, Amanda’s career took her to many places far away from Hale County, but last year, she returned to be with family.

Andrew recognizing Amanda during the 2025 fall feast.

Amanda and Miss Anne in their halloween costumes. Dressed as Bob Ross and a painting.

Amanda brings a broad culinary background to the position, having worked in the industry for a number of years. She found her passion for pastry while at the world-renowned French Pastry School in Chicago, IL. After graduation, she moved south, working several years at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans, LA, and then along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Eventually, Le Cordon Bleu in St. Louis MO, scooped Amanda up to be one of their Pastry Chef Instructors. She remained in St. Louis for 14 years before returning home to Hale County.

Amanda plating food for the fall feast and instructing four other students.

Plate of wonderful catfish and beans from the garden made by Amanda.

Rural Studio’s kitchen is a perfect fit for Amanda because it requires versality and creativity. Amanda works closely with the Rural Studio Farm to create dishes that highlight its fresh produce and to preserve fruits and vegetables for the winter months. During the school year, Amanda prepares lunches and dinners for the Rural Studio community three days a week, providing special meals when guest lectures visit campus. The kitchen serves more than 300 fresh and delicious plates per week on a modest budget, with only Amanda and one other part-time cook to help her. The Farm’s bounty of fruits and vegetables ensure that students, faculty, and staff enjoy homemade pasta primavera, flavorful sweet potato bowls, scrumptious flatbreads, and healthy fresh salads. At least once a week, they enjoy a sweet treat baked by Amanda, drawing from her years as a pastry chef. (We’re so lucky!)

Six platters of baked items including tarts, brownies, and blondie bars. Amanda is pointing out each dish.

Line of people getting food during the lecture evening of Pig Roast with Amanda making final touches to the cake.

In addition to preparing meals for students, the Farm’s summer harvests keep Amanda busy, canning fruits and vegetables, making sauces for the next school year, and planning menus. With her diverse culinary background, Amanda brings innovation, joy, and curiosity to this work. Her favorite kitchen tool is a rubber spatula. As a culinary instructor, she taught students to scrape every usable bit left in a bowl, minimizing waste of food and money.

Comparing cooking and baking, she says: “Cooking is total freedom and intuition. Baking is the opposite; it’s so precise. In baking, you can use the same few ingredients, combining them in different ways to make a huge variety of foods.” This practical ingenuity and love for food makes Amanda a full-circle chef, and Rural Studio is excited to have her on the team!

Amanda posing with her fabulous cake for the pig roast Friday evening celebration.

Homestead Day: Sharing Expertise on Living Rural

September 25, 2026

On September 12, Auburn University Rural Studio hosted a free Homestead Day in Hale County, AL, partnering with specialists at the Aquatics Resources Team from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) and with the College of Architecture, Design and Construction (CADC) on a larger scale.

The event served landowners, farmers, families, and others interested in practical rural living. Associate Professor Emily McGlohn explained that “responsible land ownership touches many aspects of living in a rural place.” Because ACES and Rural Studio both aim to learn about rural living, they worked together to create Homestead Day, an outreach event to share knowledge with the regional community. And what a success! Over a dozen experts came from near and far—up to two and a half hours away—to work with participants; they brought their know-how from Auburn University, ACES, and regional nonprofits, and specialized networks. These experts provided practical, hands-on demonstrations, gave recommendations, and answered questions. They addressed many aspects of land ownership in Alabama: gardening and soil, sustainable agriculture, food preservation, cottage food law, pond and water management, fishing and aquaculture, heirs’ property, and conservation.

Three visitors looking over a table presented by the extension office.

Two folks talking over pamphlets about the Alabama Audubon.

The 12 sessions for adults and two activities for children were set up at locales stretching from Rural Studio’s Morrisette House to the Newbern Library just over a half mile north along Highway 61. Homestead Day offered not only the opportunity to learn by listening, seeing, and touching—literally getting hands dirty, especially at the Soil Stories event—but also to ask specific questions and connect.

A room filled with people listening to a presentation put on by the extension office.

At Rural Studio Farm, visitors discovered more about growing and preserving food. They toured the farm to learn about small-scale agriculture, organic growing, and soil management. They also learned strategies for producing crops throughout the year. Workshops and talks also covered table-top aquaponics, fall crops, pest management, soil science, and sustainability. The specialist on home food preservation covered preserving fish and produce at home through canning, drying, and freezing, and visitors learned about Alabama Cottage Food Law, which applies to small businesses.

Morrisette House hosted sessions tied to land ownership and stewardship. The Alabama Heirs’ Property Alliance helped visitors navigate the challenges of heirs’ property, or inheritance by multiple family members without clear documentation—a problem that can make it tricky for owners to build, plan their estate inheritance, and more. Visitors also learned about the social and economic benefits of employing conservation practices with the Black Belt Prairie Initiative on their land (and how to offset the cost) and of protecting birds, as well as about rural wastewater challenges and solutions.

A collection of tents and the Auburn fisheries. Some people talking with the tent folks and some watching the presentation.

A older gentlemen presenting to a group of people on Pond uses, while outside!

Fisheries are important not just to the region’s diet and culture but also to the economy. The ACES Aquatics Resources Team hosted sessions that addressed facets of the industry. Experts covered how to use floating cages in existing ponds to raise fish, how to manage ponds sustainably, and even how to process and prepare fish, up through filleting the fish. They left the next stages—breading or lemon butter—to participants’ imaginations.

The event also had hands-on science and soil activities for children and adults with youthful spirits and curious minds. Auburn’s 36-foot Geo Explorer Bus let encouraged exploration and questions. The solar bus, the largest mobile geosciences-themed lab in the world experience, boasts a tornado simulator, a digital microscope, and an augmented reality sandbox. And both adults and children stopped at Soil Stories to learn about soils in both visual art, story, and science, and to get a true hands-on, hands-in-it experience.

A photo of the soil color in at the library courtyard. Depicting a type of paint by numbers for soil types in the near region.

Two of these events—Soil Stories and the visualization of wastewater systems—were made possible by the CADC Seed Grant program, which provides early-stage funding to faculty pursuing new research, scholarship, and creative work. This grant program particularly supports work that has the potential to develop into larger projects, external funding opportunities, or long-term collaboration.

We hope this rewarding and educating partnership is the first of many, with repeat visitors and first-timers!

Three students of the student organization wearing merch and selling the items at Homestead day.

The 2026 “Neckdown” Whirlwind

September 11, 2026

Our Fall 2026 “Neckdown” week was a smashing success! During Neckdown, students, faculty, and guest volunteer helpers step back from the heavy duty thought-based work to focus on the physical labor we need to do—labor to keep projects in excellent shape, maintain the spaces we love, and give projects that need help a few more hands. In the process, students connect to the community, learn how to maintain materials, and contrary to our age’s focus on the disposable, nurture their sense of stewardship. We appreciate the Landscape Architecture students and faculty trekking to Newbern to share this work and experience.

At the heart of Morrisette Campus, our teams repaired the Fabrication Pavilion so it can continue to serve as a work, storage, and teaching space. We gave the kitchen a thorough cleaning, tidied the Woodshop, and gave the ongoing Dining House project and Rural Studio Farm some extra hands and extra love.

Three students wheelbarrowing, shoveling, and raking gravel for the Morrisette House parking lot.

A little further out, we cleaned up and pressure washed both the Mockbee’s Subrosa Pantheon and the Bodark Amphitheater, and also fixed the roof on Chantilly House, the 1832 house that Mr. William Morrisette had disassembled and moved from Greensboro to Newbern. Spencer House, a relative baby by comparison (core of the structure built in 1890) and the community storm shelter also received some TLC: exterior painting and cleaning/pressure washing, respectively. We also love Newbern, so we got to work cleaning up and doing yardwork downtown at the library and town hall.

Two helpers pictured beginning to paint the window trim.

In Greensboro, we helped the Smith Park team check items off their checklist, and we filled in gravel in Horseshoe Courtyard downtown. It’s funny how gravel too large to stick in the soles of shoes seems to compress or disappear over the years; maybe the Gravel Fairy is at work. We even made the trek to Perry Lakes Park in Marion to replace boards on the boardwalk. It’s ready once again for birders and others to enjoy this spot on the Cahaba River.

In this whirlwind of activity, we probably forgot a few details. Thank you for understanding, and as always, thank you to all who participated!

Tags: neckdown

Meet Shane the Crane Man: Shane Jackson

September 1, 2026

Shane Jackson, better known to us as Shane the Crane Man, is a local contractor who helps move large objects with his crane for Rural Studio. He has assisted student teams on countless projects, including the Greenhouse, Lions Park, the Butterfly House, and most recently, the Bathhouse. Shane also performs metal fabrication for many Rural Studio projects. His welding skills are well-known and much appreciated by students and faculty.

Shane, Emily, and Andrew shaking hands at the pig roast celebration for an award

Where are you originally from? Did you grow up in Hale County?

No, I did not grow up here. It was a lively place. I’m from Jefferson County. I left there because it became too much for me, too many people. I wanted further out.

What do you love about your job?

I’m not really a people person, but I do like people, and I do like talking. I talk a lot. Out here at Rural Studio—working with the people, working with the students—that’s what I like. I like doing jobs where people think, “That’s not gonna work,” but it does. Or I do something that everybody thinks can’t be done. That sorta makes me feel good.

But I do like coming up here and working with the students. Most every student—I guess all—have always been decent.

Shane operating the crane moving 3 plus panels for the thermal bouyancy pods onto a trailer

Shane moving panels off of the trailer onto the site with the boom truck

How did you get into fabrication work?

Starting out, work took me to Tuscaloosa. Me and other boys worked together, and we welded. I used to work on barges. When they started sinking, we would pump them out, get them back up, weld ‘em, fix ‘em up, or whatever had to be done. If there were repairs with propellers under water, we would have to dive and cut things out. We got all the jobs—it was often cold weather and nighttime.

What is it like to work on a Rural Studio project? How do they compare to other projects you work on?

They are weird—nothing normal about them! (laughs) It took me a long time to figure that out. I used to want to voice my opinion, like: why are we doing it like this? But—it took me a long time to figure out—you know,anyone can build a square box. You’re not here to learn how to build a square box. Y’all are here to design. Once I grasped that, the work sorta came to me better. Now it’s all more interesting to me.

Shane helping the Bath House team place nuts and bolts into the steal walkway. — Helping Bath House Secure Bolts for the Walkway

Shane moving heavy CLT panels with the boom truck. Student supervising — Helping Bath House Secure Bolts for the Walkway

Shane operating the crane while Ashley from the Bath House is moving the heavy metal piece.

What do you like most about Newbern/Hale County?

Ooh all the drama! (laughs) Nah, not really. I like Newbern because it’s so laid back, calm, When the Mercantile was open, it was just the little countriest place. You could go in there and they would cut you the bacon however thick you wanted to carry it home or cut you some bologna. And you know when you find a store like that, you can’t just go anywhere and find that, it’s just a little country store and a little country town. I like that. You know, it’s slow.

I love being out in the country. I don’t like big cities. I like being out. Where I live, I got my shop for my closest neighbor. You can look any direction and can’t see a house or nothing. And that’s what I like, you know? The further I am out, the better I am. I like the peace.

Where did the nickname Crane Shane come from?

That would be Andrew. [Andrew Freear, Rural Studio Director]

Shane Jackson and Andrew Freear posing in front of the boom truck for a picture!

How many projects/teams have you worked with at Rural Studio over the years?

I have no idea! How long’s it been since the Butterfly House? I’ve been working with project teams since Mason’s Bend (1997).

Do you really have a dog named Dog?

Yes. (Laughs) I do have a dog named Dog. I raised her from a baby, had her momma and daddy. I used to raise and hunt with ‘em. Up until she was about a year old, she really wasn’t a pet. She was a kennel dog for hunting. Then, I got out of hunting and started carrying her with me. She didn’t have a name, so what do you call her? Dog.

Favorite tool.

Boom Truck. That’s a tool ain’t it? You can accomplish a lot with it and don’t have to work real hard doing it.