Friske’s new Remnant venture aims to ‘help people live better in their homes’
Farragut resident Jessalyn Friske has ventured out with her own architectural firm, Remnant Architecture.
Currently working out of her home, 323 Mapletree Drive off North Watt Road since April, she specializes in residential designs for multi-family structures such as apartments, single-family homes and urban projects.
“I just want to help people to live better in their homes,” Friske said. “I see a lot of trends, now, where the baby boomers are downsizing and now some of the millennials are moving downtown, but then some of them are interested in the suburbs, too. But the houses that they are in don’t really function for today’s lifestyle.”
For example, a home may have a telephone outlet but not a power outlet for a computer. Also, she said a client may “want to open up a space or [he or she] does not want a formal living room any more and may want to reuse the space as something else or make a bigger master suite.”
Friske’s projects include new construction, renovations and additions to a home and all include all styles, from traditional to modern or a mix of the two.
A Nashville native, Friske and her husband moved to Knoxville in 2010 and then made the move to Farragut in 2013.
“Farragut’s a good location ... he works in Oak Ridge, and for me to be near Knoxville for some of the resources for architecture, too. [We] have all the amenities we need,” she said.
Friske said she has wanted to be an architect as far back as she can remember. “I wanted to do residential [structures] and start my own firm,” she said. “Even in high school I took some drafting classes. The following summer she worked as an intern at an architectural firm in the summer. “I really enjoyed that.”
That summer experience led Friske to enroll in a school for architecture. She got her Bachelor of Science and Master of Architecture degrees in architecture from University of Cincinnati in 2006 and 2008 respectively. “[The university] had a co-op program there and one of the firms I worked at had residential architecture [projects], and I really enjoyed that,” Friske said. “Over time, I guess I realized, in the location where I am, that it was best for me to specialize in [residential design].”
After graduation, she worked for eight years with R2R studio LLC of Knoxville — and also freelanced.
While Friske is working out of her home now, she said she may look for another location if expansion dictates. “But I’m starting simple so I can design the business the way I want it,” she said.
Friske operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information: 865-880-0823, jessalynfriske@gmail.com or visit www.remnantarchitecture.com
