Building detail w firm

Kenect Nashville

Smith Gee Studio, Architect of Record
Perkins + Will, Design Architect

Kenect Nashville

Smith Gee Studio, Architect of Record
Perkins + Will, Design Architect

Awards Category  : :  Large Project (over 25,000 sf)

Kenect Nashville is a live/work/community-centric 20-story mixed-use apartment building located in Midtown Nashville. The building features innovative social, co-working, and amenity spaces, structured parking, and retail shell space.

Kenect Nashville is the newest member of the Kenect family of hospitality-oriented apartment buildings featuring compact, highly efficient apartments, modern furnishings, and social programming for the property. Created prior to the pandemic, this convergence of living, working, exercising, entertaining, and socializing – all in one place – is quickly becoming a new lifestyle standard in a post Covid-19 world, and the future of residential living.

At twenty stories, Kenect Nashville is composed of two intersecting glass residential towers sitting atop a podium with a 447-space parking garage, screened with a rhythm of aluminum fins of various sizes. The ground floor features over 31,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space with a planned “ghost kitchen” food hall. The 16,000 square feet of co-working space is spread out over two stories and includes open and members-only community working areas, individually enclosed spaces and office pods, and conference rooms. As a new model for urban living targeting mobile, young professionals, the building offers a vast array of community spaces and social amenities for residents and guests alike.
The entire building was designed to maximize space efficiency and was designed to meet Green Globes standards. Kenect Nashville utilizes low-flow fixtures, native planting strategy to reduce water requirements, and a green roof system for rainwater management. Irrigation systems use recycled water in the form of HVAC process water and grey water. In addition to the green roof systems, site bioswales are used to slow water conveyance.

Each of the fully furnished studio units include custom designed, multifunctional casework with integrated murphy beds and desks to fully utilize space. Layouts were created to optimize views and maximize natural light. The majority (60%) of the 420 units are studios; 30% of the units are one-bedroom, and the rest are three-bedroom. Co-living needs of roommates were carefully considered in the design of the three-bedroom units.

Unique to Nashville and paying homage to Music City's rich music and arts scene, indoor/outdoor performance spaces are located at street level and private recording studios for residents are located in the co-working space. The building also features large-scale painted mural art by local artists Kim Radford, Tess Davies, and Nathan Brown.


Date of Completion:   May 2021

Client:   Akara Partners

General Contractor:  James McHugh Construction Company

Consultants:   Civil - Barge Cauthen & Associates - Anna Maddox, amaddox@bargecauthen.com
Structural - Thornton Tomasetti - Rachel Jackson, rjackson@thorntontomasetti.com
MEPFP Design - WMA Consulting Engineers (now Salas O'Brien)
Interior Design Concept - Dash Design - Cecilia Hanover, chanover@dashdesign.net
Landscape Architect - Hawkins Partners - Nathan Oliver, n.oliver@hawkinspartners.com


Photography Credits: 

Kenect Nashville Image 1 - Located a block away from Broadway, two intersecting glass towers, with 420 residential units, sit atop a podium featuring parking and three stories of co-working space. ©Nick McGinn

Kenect Nashville Image 2 - Elevation & Building Plan ©Smith Gee Studio

Kenect Nashville Image 3 - Floor Plans ©Smith Gee Studio

Kenect Nashville Image 4 - The nearly 16,000 square feet of co-working space is spread out over two stories and includes several open community working areas as well as more private enclosed spaces, and conference rooms. ©Nick McGinn

Kenect Nashville Image 5 - Kenect Nashville is the newest member of the Kenect family of hospitality-oriented apartment buildings featuring compact, highly efficient apartments, modern furnishings, and social programming within each property. ©Nick McGinn

Kenect Nashville Image 6 - The 7th floor amenity deck features a generous exterior living space, private balconies for the residential units on this floor, quaint views of midtown, and shared gardening spaces for flowers or vegetables. ©Nick McGinn

Kenect Nashville Image 7 - Bright aluminum garage screen fins serve double duty as a visual break to the massing and designating the transitions from the garage to the co-working and residential space. ©Nick McGinn

Kenect Nashville Image 8 - Large-scale painted mural art by local artists Kim Radford, Tess Davies, and Nathan Brown are featured throughout the building. ©Nick McGinn

Kenect Nashville Image 9 - The co-working space includes several open community working areas as well as more private enclosed spaces, and conference rooms. ©Nick McGinn

Kenect Nashville Image 10 - As a new model for urban living targeting mobile, young professionals, Kenect Nashville offers a vast array of community spaces and social amenities for residents and guests alike. ©Nick McGinn

Kenect Nashville Image 11 - Each of the fully furnished studio units include carefully designed, state-of-the-art furniture with interactive controls. ©Todd Snapp

Kenect Nashville Image 12 - Sitting in a vibrant area of restaurants and shops, Kenect Nashville is designed to promote interaction between residents and the surrounding community. ©Nick McGinn

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