All photos by McGinn Photography, courtesy of Hastings Architecture.
HASTINGS Architecture of Nashville, TN designed the new headquarters for Guaranty Home Mortgage Corporation. Located in the Peabody Plaza building—another Hastings design—the office evokes the style of tailor-made menswear, with strong, clean lines and a refined material palette. With a masterful blend of contemporary touches and subtle references to history, the space embodies the residential mortgage leader’s personalized approach to service.
With a move from the city of Murfreesboro to a location close to downtown Nashville, the mortgage company wanted employees and visitors to experience a compelling introduction as soon as they entered the space. “With a brand-new office building located at one of the gateways into downtown Nashville, it was a big move for the company. First impressions were extremely important. They wanted the office to be impactful, and they wanted it to feel very open,” said Chuck Gannaway, principal at HASTINGS.
The materials set the tone for the 45,000-square-foot workplace that spans two floors. A large, blackened steel feature wall provides a backdrop for the front desk. The matte steel not only looks modern, but it also references the history of the Rolling Hill Mill neighborhood, where the office is located. In the 19th century, the site was used as a processing terminal for a variety of goods. It takes its moniker from the cylindrical rollers used to grind wheat, corn, and lumber. “We wanted to draw from the history, and that’s where the idea to use the blackened steel came from,” Gannaway noted.
The steel serve as a backdrop, and acts as a counterbalance to the wood used throughout the space. Behind the front desk, a walnut slat wall separates public and semi-private spaces. The rotating slats allow dappled natural light to enhance the entry. Brett Arsta, CEO of Guaranty Home Mortgage Corporation, has an interest in mid-century modern design, so furniture from the era was placed throughout the lobby. The tones of those classic pieces, the feature wall, and the polished concrete floor combine to create a look that is sleek, but never lacking warmth.
A café on the first-floor doubles as meeting space, a change from the original concept the architects had envisioned. “This was a really important amenity for the staff, especially coming from this disjointed location where they really didn’t have a place where everyone could gather. We initially thought of it as an area for town hall meetings. As we continued to brainstorm, we realized that they could accommodate those town halls, have staff lunches, or hold informal meetings here. Even though the full workforce is not there yet because of the pandemic, we’ve seen the space evolve,” said Jennifer Crawford, an associate at Hastings and design lead for the project.
A terrazzo stairway anchors the main lobby and serves as a point of connection among the formerly separate sectors. “The monumental stair is a key element. It’s not just a sculptural form in the space, but an important connection between the two floors visually, so the departments would feel a bit more cohesive. It actually encourages people to use the stairs instead of the elevators,” Gannaway said.
Because the HASTINGS team designed the Peabody Plaza base building, they had the advantage of being able to stipulate the size of the slab opening of the stairway. Oftentimes, architects are constrained by the beams in a structure, and the only option is to put in a narrow, switchback stair.
“While Peabody Plaza was under construction, we were early in the design process here. We were able to prescribe the size of this particular opening. So, we had some flexibility, and we were able to make it a much larger, more grand opening. We were able to increase the visibility between the two floors because of that,” Gannaway added.
The unique light fixture on the second floor mirrors the detailing found on the first floor. The large piece illuminates and is another focal point in keeping with the mid-century aesthetic of the office—and an interesting element that ties the floors together.
The office boasts not one, but two cafés. The space on the second floor, dubbed the work café, features a counter and seating area, with tables and chairs that can be used for breaks or as a task center, a novel idea for the employees. “We were really just trying to introduce the staff to a different way of working. They were coming from a pretty outdated model of traditional workstations, high partitions, and not many collaboration areas. This is another amenity space that can be used when someone does not want to sit at their desk. It’s a nice option,” Crawford noted.
Some of the employees moved into the building last July, but because of the pandemic, most people are not back to regular work schedules. Yet the Guaranty Home Mortgage Corporation team is poised for continued success, with an office that supports their work and aligns with the vitality of the surrounding area. “There are sizable projects that are coming, and will further activate and enliven the Rolling Mill Hill neighborhood,” Gannaway said.
For Crawford, the materials used to highlight amenity areas enabled the architects to craft a warm environment that transcends a typical workspace. “We used really classic, reliable materials, like the blackened steel, leather, and walnut. They were repeated in important areas but never overdone. I think that made this project successful. It’s simple and sophisticated,” she said.
