Signal Mountain native Matthew Barnett was recently honored as a Torchbearer -- the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's, highest student honor. Barnett, who will complete a bachelor's degree in architecture this spring, was one of nine chosen as Torchbearers based on academic achievement and outstanding commitment to others.
Barnett is a leader in the American Institute of Architecture Students' Freedom by Design program, which creates meaningful improvements through design and construction solutions for low-income and disabled people.
Several of his designs are improving the lives of Knoxville residents. Notable projects include wheelchair access and home renovation for a boy with centronuclear myopathy, a home remodel for a mother and daughter with mental and physical disabilities, and the construction of desks, stairs and ramps for an elderly woman with physical and financial limitations.
Katherine Saxon