19 Cherokee Concept

ROLE: ARCHITECT

Project Type: Commercial Location: Northshore Chattanooga, TN Number of Units: 7 Tennant Spaces Phase: UNBUILT

Project Description:

Located in Chattanooga, 19 Cherokee is a conceptual adaptive reuse and façade transformation study centered around two historic buildings that had previously been connected through a shared basement and structured parking addition. ALLY Architecture was asked to explore how the disconnected structures could be visually unified into a cohesive development while improving the project’s relationship to the street and surrounding urban context.

The design proposal introduced a continuous perforated screen wall that wraps the site and establishes a new architectural identity for the project while preserving the original building forms behind it. Rather than erasing the history of the existing structures, the intervention creates a layered composition—allowing the historic masses to remain legible while presenting a more unified and contemporary street presence.

A redesigned streetscape and landscape strategy extended the project outward toward the property line, creating additional outdoor patio space for tenants and strengthening the pedestrian experience along Cherokee Boulevard. The intervention sought to better align the development with contemporary urban design principles and the goals of Chattanooga’s Form-Based Code by reinforcing the street edge, activating the frontage, and creating a stronger sense of enclosure and public engagement.

Although the project is unlikely to be realized, the study served as a valuable exploration into how older buildings can be strategically adapted to meet evolving zoning expectations and urban design standards without requiring demolition of the existing structures.