PANDEMONIOUS PUNDITS
Interacting With the Rage Pundits of the Street
Knoxville, TN
Broadcasting Center
2023
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Tools Used: Rhino 7, Adobe Creative Cloud, 3D Printing, Design Fabrication
Exploring the intersection of sound, architecture, and media, this design reimagines a streetscape along North Broadway in Knoxville through the lens of the "rage pundit"—a figure who uses anger, influence, and chaos to divide audiences for profit. The structure is organized into three distinct programs and soundscapes: newsrooms, media areas, and the Geese Overstimulation Room (G.O.R.), each offering unique auditory and spatial experiences. Controlled acoustics in the newsrooms contrast with the overwhelming intensity of the G.O.R., while the Nest, inspired by natural bird nests, provides a tranquil retreat with sloped landscapes and piping that produces calming white noise. Organic forms within the Nest counterbalance the rigid geometry of the media spaces, and transparent materials, strategic lighting, and dynamic forms emphasize sensory engagement across the site. By integrating sound, form, and spatial interaction, the project demonstrates how architecture can shape perception, provoke reflection, and create immersive environments that balance chaos, absurdity, and tranquility.
Perspective from the top level of the upscale landscape. Geese roam in designated areas below as media influencers, anchormen, and passersby go about their days. The open-air access fosters interactions between the street and anchormen as they continue spewing their rhetoric.
This is the calmest area of the site, a harmonious space located on the elevated landscape of the exterior. It serves the people who work at the broadcast center and those on N Broadway, flipping the typical ideal that the interior is loud and the exterior is calm.
The Geese Overstimulation Room (G.O.R.) embodies the idea of loudness in the modern age and how pundits keep us locked to our screens to hear what they say. This room serves as an “opposite” meditation spa where people can study or work as geese yell at them to focus.
