17th & Grand
Large Project (over 25,000 sf)
Positioned prominently on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, this nine-story mixed-use office building expresses the history of music recording, abstracting the elements of sound, reflection, reverberation and rhythm into geometries, patterns and forms reflected throughout the building.
Awards Year | 2023, 2024
Project Statement
Honoring the history of the site as the former recording studio of Ray Stevens, the design of the mixed-use office building is informed by the unique geometries found in music recording and production environments. The patterns and angles are combined with glass and metal elements along with masonry in order to anchor the project in a contextually appropriate manner. The owner desired the development of an external glass elevator and sky lobby that offers expansive views of the surrounding landscape including downtown Nashville. A small lobby off of the building’s main frontage provides access to the glass elevators, bringing employees and guests from the parking garage and sidewalk up to the sky lobby leading to a large terrace that fits with the scale and context of the intersection. This unique entry pattern sequence is intentional so that visitors engage with the vast amenity space and enter into the sky lobby and tower elevators before heading up to the office floors. The sky lobby has a clean and simplistic design that responds to the building’s angled exterior elements.
The building includes ground level retail space along with four stories of office space. A seven-level parking garage accommodates 450 vehicles maximizing the use of the compact, urban site. Garage parking on both street-facing sides of the building is wrapped by a 20-foot-tall loft office space overlapping two floors of parking, screening the garage. White masonry is used at the retail level to further tie the space to Music Row. Additional tenant amenities located on the fifth floor include a fitness center with locker rooms, showers and an exterior yoga lawn; shared conference space; and a roof terrace.
Framework for Design Excellence Narrative
Designing for Energy, Integration, and Well-Being – As a LEED Silver certified building, 17th and Grand adds to a portfolio of a client who prioritizes sustainability and energy efficiency in the buildings they develop and deliver. The project team worked collaboratively and diligently to prioritize best practices in sustainable design while balancing the market demands of a mixed-use office building in Nashville. Priority was given to optimizing energy performance, indoor water use reduction, and creating occupant comfort using low-emitting materials. Solar orientation and window-to-wall ratio was considered in the design process. The south and west facades of the building utilize significantly less glazing to reduce the demand of the mechanical system. The project integrates responsibly into the neighborhood with a generous site setback off Grand Avenue and an additional setback on the upper floors allowing maximum air and light for adjacent properties. 17th and Grand integrates public retail into the ground level with the use of the contextually appropriate material, masonry, and integrates a variety of well-being inspired amenities for its office users. Wellness is promoted through easy access to elevated outdoor space. Locker rooms, fitness space and a yoga lawn encourage users to start or maintain healthy habits for a healthy lifestyle, making the project desirable for its users to prioritize mental and social well-being.
LEED/Green Certifications
LEED Silver
Photo Captions
2- Program plan series and conceptual massing diagrams
3- Landscape site plan
4- Landscape sky lobby and amenity plan
5- Patterns and angles combine to anchor the project in an appropriate manner, embracing human-scale at both the terrace and intersection levels. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
6- Loft office space overlap two floors of parking, screening the garage while white masonry stone elements frame the building along the intersection. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
7- Entrance plaza at the main intersection. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
8- External glass elevator and sky lobby offers views of the surrounding landscape and downtown Nashville. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
9- In context with the intersection the terrace can be utilized for recreation, relaxation or functions and adds elevated green space to the urban environment. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
10- Terrace view, located off the sky lobby offers seating and open air green space. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
11- Main entrance, unique circulation pattern sees visitors enter through and up to the sky lobby before the interior elevators leading to the office spaces above. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
12- Terrace provides multiple forms of seating for users to relax and interact with nature. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
13- Interior design selections are complimented by warm textures and materials, creating an inviting and upscale feel. Photo by © Attic Fire Photography.
14- Minimal and modern interior design selections play with color, material and texture and come together to form a seamless, contemporary and welcoming atmosphere.
