Tue, Oct 13, 2026
Chapter Meeting - Masonry Construction 101
Read More
Provide a community to collaborate, communicate, educate and network for the advancement of the design and construction industry.
Latest Fun Stuff
New Member News
Posted: Wed, Sep 09, 2026
Meet new member Rachel Carlson, CSI-S. Rachel is a 4th year architecture student at the University of Tennessee with a minor in Urban Studies. She currently works on campus as an Office Assistant for University Housing, manning the front desk in a residence hall and managing administrative issues. She plans to complete her studies in Knoxville and return to Chicago where she will pursue registration and eventually have her own architectural firm.
She is a student member of the CSI Knoxville chapter and serves as the President of the CSI Student Collaboration at UTK. “This is the student organization that is affiliated with the local chapter. Together we plan events for students like construction site visits, office tours, and other real-world experiences that students don’t always get to see. “I look forward to getting more students involved and spreading the word about CSI”.
When asked about how she learned about CSI, she explained,” I first heard about CSI in spring of 2025 from Geoffrey Cavalier, who was a guest at an AIAS meeting sharing some information about architecture licensure. He mentioned CSI and some of the valuable experiences he got from being a part of it, and after the meeting I inquired further. It seemed like a great opportunity, and he told me that they were trying to get more students involved at the time. I was hoping to get connected with some mentors in my field and learn some of the things I wouldn’t be getting in school.”
Growing up near Chicago had a strong influence on her pursuit of architecture. She explained how her interest in architecture began. “In high school I took a few engineering classes as electives and really enjoyed them. By the time my senior year rolled around, I had taken all the engineering courses, and I was looking for something else that would pique my interest. There was an introduction to architecture course that my teacher recommended, and during the class, I realized that was what I wanted to pursue. It had all the parts of engineering I liked, the technical skills and working with a team, and it had the creative design side. After further consideration, I realized that I have always was inclined towards architecture since I was a kid playing with Lego. Visiting Chicago so much as a kid played a role as well. This all clicked and suddenly it felt like I was on exactly the right path. I have only felt more validated in that decision as time goes on”.
Rachel loves hiking and the outdoors and found Knoxville was a very attractive option when researching universities. She also loves cats and has a feline companion named Michael. Other loves include museums, historic homes and travel. She recently spent the summer in Helsinki, Finland for a semester abroad. Rachel said, “I had never traveled outside of the country before and that was an incredible experience both in and outside of the classroom.”
Please introduce yourself to Rachel at your first opportunity and explain what part you play in our design and construction industry. You will all be richer for the encounter.
CSI & AGC Collaborate on Blueprint Training Course
Posted: Sat, Sep 05, 2026
The Knoxville AGC and CSI are again collaborating to present their Blueprint Training Course at the AGC offices on Ragsdale Ave. The 6 week course has drawn 30 to 60 people each year for a number of years. The attendees represent a wide range of members of the construction industry including contractors, subcontractors, cost estimators, loan officers, interior designers and product representatives. Each week experts from the industry guide the attendees through portions of the contract documents, helping them to read the documents and understand the relationships vital to ensuring quality construction.
The schedule this year is as follows:
Thursday, August 20, 2026: Introduction to Contract Documents – Drawings
Thursday, August 27, 2026: Introduction to Contract Documents – Specifications
Thursday, September 3, 2026: Civil Engineering
Thursday, September 10, 2026: Structural Engineering
Thursday, September 17, 2026: Plumbing, Mechanical, & Fire Protection Engineering
Thursday, September 24, 2026: Electrical Engineering
CSI is pleased to have been a part of this effort for many years as we have seen that the class, as John Ewart, AGC Executive Director says, "strengthens the construction community".
CSI Awards Banquet @Topgolf
Posted: Sat, Sep 05, 2026
CSI Knoxville Awards Banquet
Date:Tuesday, September 15th
Time:6:00–9:00 PM
Dinner and Awards at 6 PM
Golf to follow at 7:30 PM
Location:Topgolf Knoxville -
11400 Outlet Dr, Knoxville, TN 37932
Join us for our annual CSI Knoxville Awards Banquet as we celebrate our chapter’s achievements from the past year! We’re mixing it up this time and heading to Topgolf Knoxville for an evening of recognition, dinner, and fun!
After the awards ceremony, we’ll stick around to enjoy some golf and time together. The banquet is open to all CSI Knoxville members plus one guest.
Both dinner and golf provided courtesy of CSI Knoxville.
"Smokehouse BBQ"
Dinner Menu:
Sliced Brisket with BBQ Sauce
Grilled Chicken Breast with BBQ Sauce
Cheddar Mac 'n Cheese
Buttered Green Beans with Peppers & Onions
Jalapeño Cornbread with Honey Butter
House Salad with Balsamic & Ranch Dressing
Coleslaw
Fountain Soda, Iced Tea, Coffee & Water
So that we may reserve enough lanes with TopGolf, we will need an accurate count in advance of golfers as well as dinner guests; Please use the link below to let us know if you and your guest will be attending dinner, indicating if you and/or your guest will be staying to play TopGolf after.
LOCATION: Pins & Pints Pinball Pub, 1336 E. Emory Rd.
DATE AND TIME: March 26, 2026, 5 PM - 7 PM
Think of yourself as a Pinball Wizard? Well show us your stuff!
Join your CSI buddies at Knoxville's premier pinball destination and neighborhood pub! This is a great spot to grab a drink and enjoy some retro gaming! And if you just can't get enough fun, then stay afterwards for some Free-to-Play team trivia that starts at 7 PM.
