Melpark Drive

Project Statement

The office is a study in intentional juxtaposition: urban and rural, residential and commercial, contemporary and traditional, past and present. These contrasts reflect the diversity of the studio’s design capabilities and create a space that blurs the boundaries between home and workplace, defying office norms. The entry doubles as a lounge and listening room, while the kitchen—with white oak cabinetry, natural stone counters, an antiqued mirror backsplash, and a built-in design library—feels more like it belongs in a home than an office. Meeting rooms, engineered for superior acoustics, subtly reference the surrounding recording studios while ensuring clarity in virtual collaboration. Together, these elements evoke the home of your coolest friend—comfortably stylish, inviting, and entirely personal.

Throughout, found objects, family keepsakes, and artwork and furnishings from the founder’s personal collection layer seamlessly with pieces by local makers. Original concrete floors, creamy plaster walls, and natural materials give the space an organic, warm, and inviting feel. It is both tranquil and alive—a place that feels lived-in yet refined. The interiors subtly honor inspirations from Donald Judd, Alvar Aalto, David Byrne, and Tony Brow while also showcasing works by artists like Paul Collins, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Caroline Allison, and a range of local makers including New Hat, Holler Design, and Scheibe Design.

Community is core to the studio’s ethos, a value passed down from the founder’s upbringing in east Tennessee and one he carried with him to Nashville nearly 25 years ago. Back then, he saw the potential to breathe new life into overlooked spaces and bolster a sense of neighborhood in a city on the verge of explosive growth. That placemaking mission continues here: this office isn’t just a headquarters—it’s a gathering place, a creative engine, and a community cornerstone. It’s a space where ideas move, where relationships are built, and where design is always in conversation with the people and city around it.

Framework for Design Excellence Narrative

Design for Integration

The studio embodies a seamless integration of architecture, interiors, and landscape, transforming a utilitarian exterminator’s office into a holistic design statement. The project scope spanning architecture, interiors, furniture, landscape, and art curation allowed the team to craft a layered environment where each element reinforces the others. The interplay of residential and commercial typologies, natural and fabricated materials, and personal and professional artifacts illustrates the studio’s philosophy that design is not about isolated gestures but about a unified narrative. Every threshold, from garden to kitchen to studio floor, reflects this integrated approach, where architecture and story are inseparable.


### Design for Community

Located in Berry Hill, Nashville’s design district, the studio is more than an office it’s a neighborhood anchor and a community gathering place. The space is often used by outside organizations for community events after office hours. The renovation honors the firm’s long-standing mission of adaptive reuse and placemaking by giving new life to an overlooked structure while contributing vibrancy to the street. Within the space, local makers (Holler Design, Scheibe Design, New Hat) and regional artists are foregrounded, amplifying the voices of Nashville’s creative community. Shared areas such as the entry lounge, kitchen-library, and outdoor garden with its communal Judd table are designed for conversation, collaboration, and hospitality—underscoring the office’s role as both a workplace and a community hub.


### Design for Well-being

From abundant natural light and floor-to-ceiling garden views to acoustically engineered meeting rooms, the studio was designed with human well-being at its center. The interiors prioritize comfort, warmth, and tactility, with plaster walls, natural stone, and white oak cabinetry creating a sensory-rich environment. Plants sourced from local nurseries, blur the boundaries between indoors and out. Personal artifacts, heirlooms, and meaningful works of art provide grounding, identity, and inspiration. The result is a workspace that feels more like a home—fostering belonging, creativity, and mental clarity—while offering flexibility for reflection, collaboration, and cultural expression.

### Design for Discovery

The Studio  is conceived as a living laboratory an ever-evolving environment that encourages exploration, experimentation, and reflection. By repurposing a modest exterminator’s office into a layered design hub, the project demonstrates the studio’s commitment to adaptive reuse and iterative learning. Custom fabrications, locally made furnishings, and personal artifacts are placed in dialogue with contemporary artworks, inviting staff, clients, and visitors to engage in continual discovery. Each threshold—from garden to lounge to studio floor—reveals a new story and new perspective, ensuring the space itself becomes an active participant in the design process.

### Design for Well-being

The studio is designed first and foremost around people, prioritizing comfort, health, and connection. Natural light filters through skylights and expansive windows, grounding workspaces in views of the entry garden and seasonal landscape. Acoustic treatments in meeting rooms foster clarity and focus, while natural materials plaster, oak, stone create a warm, tactile environment. Plants, heirlooms, and art infuse the space with memory and meaning, offering both inspiration and a sense of belonging. The kitchen-library, living room-like entry, and garden gathering table support nourishment, collaboration, and rest, making the office a place that nurtures well-being in every dimension physical, emotional, and social.