Design Spotlight: Sixth South
Named for its location on 6th Avenue South in SoBro, just blocks away from Lower Broadway and The Gulch, Sixth South is a mixed-use, 13-story high-rise with 299 apartment units and 5,000 square feet of retail space. Amenities include a fitness and yoga center, a rooftop pool and a sky lounge with stunning views of the city’s skyline. SV Design worked with developers The Beach Company to design a modern and luxurious place to live in the heart of downtown Nashville.
We asked the project’s lead architect Beau Brady for more details about the design:
Can you tell us about the planning process for a project of this size?
We approached this project in a similar manner that we do with all our projects: finding the highest and best use for our client. Through various design charettes, we uncovered all the challenges we had with the site while pushing the boundaries to get as much density as zoning would allow.
What are some of the main design elements used in the project?
The elevated pool deck is the focal point of the project, embracing uninterrupted views of the Gulch and Downtown. The remaining amenities surround the pool deck: Both the sky lounge and the fitness and yoga center take advantage of large, glazed openings to provide a visual connection to the pool and surrounding neighborhood.
Another interesting aspect of the project is that we utilized a prefabricated exterior façade system. The panels are assembled and finished in a manufacturing plant and shipped to the site to then be hoisted into place. This saves significant time cladding the façade, which traditionally is a multi-step process with various trades involved. Using this system cut the construction schedule down by two months.
What was the biggest challenge working on this project?
As with many development projects right now, project delays and inflation were challenging. The design process for the project began in 2014, but construction did not finish until the start of 2022. During that time, we worked with four different contractors and overcame multiple value engineering exercises, a full structural redesign, and challenges with updated codes.
What was your favorite part of this project?
Though I typically enjoy working on the front end of design, I actually enjoyed the construction process for this project. Watching the tower elevate 13 stories high and become part of Nashville’s growing skyline was a great experience that made me proud of the work we did.
