Dube Orthopedics
Large Project (over 25,000 sf)
Dube Orthopedics is a new 35,700 SF, four-story medical office building located in Hermitage, TN, completed in October of 2022. The ground and second floors include offices for an orthopedic surgeon. The third and fourth floors are shell medical office tenant spaces.
Awards Year | 2024
Project Statement
The design for this project began with few instructions from our clients: 4 stories, 30,000sf, oriented along Old Hickory Boulevard, multi-story lobby, glass elevator, and cantilevered porte cochere.
Design Inspiration: What became this building was heavily inspired by the work of luminary architects like Le Corbusier, Eero Saarinen, and Neil Denari. The glassy ground floor features pilotis which support a sculpted, muscular main building. Terraces at each level peel away from the main body of the building with expanses of glass cut into it. The main body is clad in a heavily articulated, custom ACM rainscreen panel over a continuously insulated envelope. Along Old Hickory Boulevard, a less articulated, more glassy, and more structured geometry acts as a cradle for the more organically shaped main body in a design intended to recall the anatomical models used by the doctors who work there. The pattern in the cladding was designed to utilize a full standard sized ACM panel to reduce waste. Windows were also sized to fit within the cladding pattern with few cut pieces.
Façade and Glazing: The curtainwall glazing systems in the project feature fritted glass to allow daylighting into the public areas while maintaining a level of privacy for patients. We used vertical fins to both emphasize the movement in the building design and provide shading and energy efficiency. Windows in the upper floors are made from laminated glass featuring an integral white, dotted film. They are designed to allow daylight into exam rooms and offices while providing both privacy for patient visits and clear, filtered views to the outside.
Systems and Sustainability: The high-efficiency continuously insulated building envelope and efficient, insulated, shaded glazing systems are supported by low-energy use lighting and HVAC systems. Early in the design process, we, our engineers, the construction manager (a former HVAC systems representative), and the mechanical sub-contractor worked through several options for the building mechanical systems. We settled on a system that was not the lowest up-front cost system, but successfully balanced installation costs with long-term operating costs and energy efficiency. In this case a hybrid system of VRF units along with some DX type rooftop mounted units and direct-outside-air systems to provide fresh air throughout the building. We utilized low energy use fixtures and equipment throughout the building when available
Framework for Design Excellence Narrative
**Design for Economy**: The integration of the aforementioned sustainable building systems in the Dube Orthopedics Building offers substantial economic benefits to the client. Although the selected systems involved a higher initial investment, we expect the long-term savings (by optimizing energy efficiency and reducing ongoing operational expenses) to offset the upfront costs. These measures not only lower energy bills but also enhance the building’s market appeal, potentially increasing its value and attractiveness to tenants and investors, thereby supporting the client's long-term financial success.
**Design for Energy:** Energy reduction measures included a rigorous continuously insulated building envelope, insulated and shaded glazing systems, low-energy use lighting and HVAC systems.
**Design for Well-Being**: Glazing and shading strategies are thoughtfully integrated to enhance the patient experience by improving comfort, privacy, and overall well-being, making the environment more inviting and less clinical.
LEED/Green Certifications
Photo Captions
02_Dube_Corner Detail
03_Dube_Site Plan
04_Dube_Floor Plan Diagrams
05_Dube_View looking SW from Parking Entry
06_Dube_View looking S from Old Lebanon Dirt Rd
07_Dube_Glass Elevator at Lobby
08_Dube_View Along Old Hickory Blvd
09_Dube_2nd Floor Medical Office Suite
10_Dube_1st Floor Physical Therapy Suite
11_Dube_Partial View from Old Hickory Blvd
12_Dube_View of the Entry and Cantilevered Porte Cochere
13_Dube_View Looking S from Old Lebanon Dirt Rd
