Housing for Art’s Sake
ByNASHVILLE—How do you serve struggling artists and avoid a bargain-basement feel to the apartments you design for them? That was one of the questions faced by Smith Gee Studio here, this week’s finalist in the National Association of Home Builders’ Pillars of the Industry Awards. Hint: Budget creatively. (To register for the awards presentation, click here.)
Nashville’s Ryman Lofts
This Week’s Project: Ryman Lofts
City: Nashville
Award Category: Best Affordable Apartment community up to 100 Units
Developer: Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency of Nashville
Architect & Designer: Smith Gee Studio, LLC
Mission: “The original vision was to create affordable housing for an under-served but integral part of Music City, which was artists of all different varieties and natures—performing and visual artists,” says Dallas Caudle, a principal at Smith Gee Studio here. “It’s something our community values and supports and encourages as much as possible, but we weren’t providing dedicated affordable housing in the urban core for that population. So the goal was to create that place.”…
