Metro Nashville Police Headquarters and Family Safety Center
The Challenge
Metro Nashville requested two distinct but connected buildings on the same site to create a one-of-a-kind facility housing the Metro Nashville Police Department and resources for victims of domestic violence, abuse, and other services. The building needed to accommodate current and future needs for the family justice center and police headquarters.
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Client
Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
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Location
Nashville, Tennessee
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Size
187,350 square feet
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Distinguishing Features
- Family Safety Center was designed with trauma-informed principles to promote safety, trust, well-being, healing, and privacy
- Combined with the Police Headquarters support, it is the largest family justice center in the world
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Awards
- U.S. Green Building Council 2021 IMPACT Community Champion Award
- ABC Greater Tennessee 2019 Eagle Award for Excellence in Construction
- AIA Tennessee 2019 Merit in Architecture Award
- AIA Middle Tennessee 2018 Unbuilt: Honor Award
- LEED Gold
The Design Solution
The first section of the facility is the Metro Nashville Police Headquarters, housing the Chief of Police, two Assistant Chiefs, and six Deputy Chiefs, along with investigative and administrative departments. An attached 40-space parking garage and a standalone four-bay vehicle information technology garage provide protected areas for police vehicles. It was crucial that future growth was incorporated into the design of the building.
TMP incorporated interior shell spaces between departments in lieu of a shell space floor so they can grow in place instead of moving the entire department to another floor. Co-located with the police headquarters, the Family Safety Center (FSC) is a family justice center model that provides critical, comprehensive resources for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking under one roof. TMP used trauma-informed design principles to create an environment that promotes safety, trust, well-being, healing, and privacy. These principles include connecting to nature, considering acoustics, using varied lighting, reducing known environmental stressors, and more. The center was also designed with a serene, residential feel to promote hope and healing. Anchoring the center of the facility is a multi-story interior “play pyramid” for children that reminds staff of the core mission of the center. The two buildings share a breakroom for staff to collaborate and seek respite.
Project Images
The Design Impact
This facility offers a unique and much-needed resource for Nashville. It’s the largest family justice center in the world. The family justice center has a third-floor shell space to accommodate future growth. The police headquarters has shell space spread throughout the facility to accommodate future in-place growth.
testimonial
“We left marveling at what an amazing job you have done. TMP paid such amazing detail to all the team's notes and thoughts. Thank you!”
- Diane Lance, Director, Office of Family Safety for Metro Nashville
