Bass Berry & Sims Offices – Nashville
Gensler’s design for the Bass Berry & Sims offices in Nashville fosters connection through purposeful spaces, integrating collaborative work areas and engaging stairways that celebrate movement across the eight-floor layout.
Every element in Bass Berry & Sims’ workplace was designed to bring people together and foster connection. The welcoming and inclusive environment truly considers each end user and their multitude of needs.
At the onset of this project, Bass Berry & Sims determined their workplace should reflect a people-first mentality. They sought to create a home in Nashville that embodied the firm’s unique culture and generated a sense of pride among staff – a space where people wanted to be present, engaged, and connected.
Despite being separated across eight floors, a central stair links all 180,000 square feet to ignite connection. The stairs are intentionally misaligned on each level, celebrating movement and creating diverse user experiences from floor to floor. This strategy incentivizes the journey through the space and maximizes spontaneous meetings between staff and visitors. Stair openings also serve as a canvas for interactive art, dynamic screens, and light sculptures.
Each stair arrives at a work café – a unique destination on each floor that offers different amenities or equipment. These flexible spaces are landmarks within the office for people to meet, customize their daily routine, or simply provide a landing place between tasks. Each work cafe offers varied spatial qualities, inviting users to find their most comfortable spot and feel a sense of belonging within the whole office – no matter which floor they work on.
In keeping with the firm’s values, the office design focuses less on hierarchy and more on connection. Rather than private corner offices, this sought-after real estate is dedicated to shared meeting rooms and collaboration spaces for all to leverage. The dynamic workspace successfully balances focus and collaboration spaces, thoughtfully considering adjacencies and ensuring quality acoustics. Space types are flexible to support multiple uses and can easily adapt to suit the needs and comfort of each individual. Enhanced technology is employed to support purposeful, hybrid engagements between in-person and virtual staff.
The client experience was also a critical factor. The design intentionally radiates “good emotion” – promoting an elevated and curated guest experience. The conference center features impressive views of downtown Nashville, housing a variety of multi-purpose meeting rooms and a catering kitchen. The board room is designed to protrude into the terrace, creating a unique indoor-outdoor environment.
The result is a physical space that embodies Bass Berry & Sims’ brand, culture, and values. The workspace engages, inspires, and connects their people, while meaningfully impacting recruitment and retention.
Design: Gensler
Contractor: Layton Construction
Lighting: One Lux Studio
Photography: Garrett Rowland
Now editing content for LinkedIn.