The Culinary Art School in Memphis, TN functions not only as a school but as a way of revitalizing the community. This project was designed using the culinary term "peel", which generates ideas of transparency, void, core, and layering. These topics are addressed throughout the design and are most visible in the main facade.
The program spaces are laid out with the most public spaces closest to the ground level. The second floor contains the demonstration kitchen and pastry kitchen, which could both be utilized for community cooking classes and would still be of easy access to visitors. The remaining floors relate to spaces specific to the culinary school.
The main use of the peeling design concept is on the northern facade. These bands designate special areas within the building. The bands also feature a panelized brick system, which was designed to emphasize physical peeling and layering. The brick panels transition from opaque to complete transparency at the peak in the curve.
