In 1999, Tennessee concrete company Smyrna Ready Mix started off with just three trucks. Since then, it has grown to 5,400 employees in 16 states. Last year, the company moved from its small office in downtown Nashville to its new corporate headquarters on an 800-acre site.
Designed by EOA Architects to showcase various concrete processes and applications, the five-story, 85,000-sf building’s vertical layering mimics the patterns in the company’s stone quarry, located on the opposite end of the campus site. The building’s glass and concrete bands are meant to mirror the quarry’s natural contours and striations.
Inside, the helix of the building’s circulation patterns draws inspiration from the shape of a concrete mixing truck drum. Exposed concrete walls extend unobstructed from the first through fifth floors. The shear wall, the elevator, and the stair cores are 18-inch-thick poured walls with a custom radius, minimizing the amount of finishing work needed post-pour.
The interior design also references the company’s brand and industry. Custom-designed light fixtures echo the forms of concrete drums. The steps’ curved underside nods to the supply chutes used to pour concrete from the mixing drum. In the training room, the wet bar’s backsplash has been made with repurposed test cylinders, which are used to determine the strength of a mixed concrete batch. Furniture and textiles incorporate the red, white, and blue colors of the company’s logo.
The project also features corporate amenities for onsite staff and drivers, including dining, a fitness facility, training and community rooms, and a daycare center for 100 of the company and community’s children. Future plans for the campus include walking paths.
On the Building Team:
Owner: SRM Concrete
Design architect: EOA Architects
Architect of record: EOA Architects
MEP engineer: I.C. Thomasson Associates
Structural engineer: EMC Structural Engineers
General contractor/construction manager: DPR Construction
Here is the design statement from EOA Architects:
Smyrna Ready Mix is a family-owned and operated concrete company founded in Smyrna, Tennessee in 1999. Beginning with only three trucks, the company has grown to 5,400 employees in 16 states. This dramatic expansion meant it was time to move from a cramped office in downtown Nashville to a new corporate headquarters on an 800-acre site near an interstate interchange just south of the city. Here, the new building will help anchor a new mixed-use development, provide a landmark for a new corporate campus and help definite this gateway to the town of Smyrna.
Office Building as Billboard
Designed to showcase the varied types of concrete processes and applications, the vertical layering of the five-story building mimics the rhythms found in the company’s stone quarry, also located on the site. The building profile rises at the opposite end the site from the sunken quarry, creating an inverse relationship that guides the design. The building’s floor plate pushes and pulls to create an organic form with glass and concrete bands mirroring the quarry’s natural contours and striations.
Full glazing takes advantage of surrounding views and showcases the structural components, including numerous types of concrete and finishing styles. Slender 16-inch diameter columns made of a high-strength concrete mix balance on elegant bases tapered to 10 inches at the first floor and do the work of a typical 24-inch column. Cantilevered post-tension slabs demonstrate the material’s sculptural possibilities. The building contains no 90-degree edges; everything is rounded, creating a dynamic flow that further reinforces concrete’s versatility.
Workplace design uses lightness, movement
EOA steered away from a brutalist concrete expression to emphasize light and lightness and create a warm and welcoming environment. Users enter the building through three large concrete fins that provide the framework for the entry vestibules. The lobby floor is a custom concrete mix developed by EOA and SRM that resembles terrazzo. The lobby’s material palate adds a vertical oak motif complemented by champagne colored metal ceilings and railings. A double cantilevered concrete stair anchored in front of the exposed double-height concrete shear wall cascades gracefully into the lobby space, establishing the sense of open movement that permeates the building.
Inspired by the shape of a concrete mixing truck drum, the design incorporates an internal helix into the building’s circulation patterns. Vertical circulation is highlighted through the use of exposed concrete walls that extend unobstructed from the first through fifth floors. The shear wall, as well as the elevator and stair cores are 18-inch-thick poured walls with a custom radius to soften the edges and minimize the amount of finishing work required post-pour. These elements were left in a natural sculptural state with only a matte finish sealer applied to allow the form-work joints to cast shadows as sunlight moves through the space.
Artful connections to the company's brand and industry infuse the interiors: Custom designed light fixtures echo the forms of concrete drums. The curved underside of the monumental steps is a nod to the supply chutes used to pour concrete from the mixing drum. In the training room, test cylinders, used to determine the strength of each mixed concrete batch, were cut and re-purposed as the backsplash of the training room wet bar. Furniture and textiles subtly incorporate the red, white and blue colors of the company's logo.
Office building supports family business, community vision
The family had a specific and progressive vision for its new home. It was important to them to invite the community into the building and onto the campus, which includes a historic community cemetery. Future plans include walking paths to create a larger, healthy holistic environment. The project also prioritized unprecedented corporate amenities for both on-site staff as well as drivers: the first floor includes on-site dining, a fitness facility, training and community rooms as well as a daycare center for 100 of the company and community’s children.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Jun 5, 2023
Office design in the era of Gen Z, AI, and the metaverse
HOK workplace and interior design experts Kay Sargent and Tom Polucci share how the hybrid office is evolving in the era of artificial intelligence, Gen Z, and the metaverse.
Urban Planning | Jun 2, 2023
Designing a pedestrian-focused city in downtown Phoenix
What makes a city walkable? Shepley Bulfinch's Omar Bailey, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, believes pedestrian focused cities benefit most when they're not only easy to navigate, but also create spaces where people can live, work, and play.
Mixed-Use | Jun 1, 2023
The Moore Building, a 16-story office and retail development, opens in Nashville’s Music Row district
Named after Elvis Presley’s onetime guitarist, The Moore Building, a 16-story office building with ground-floor retail space, has opened in Nashville’s Music Row district. Developed by Portman and Creed Investment Company and designed by Gresham Smith, The Moore Building offers 236,000 sf of office space and 8,500 sf of ground-floor retail.
Office Buildings | May 24, 2023
The future of work: What to expect in 2023
While no one disagrees that the workplace has undergone tectonic changes, it is less clear how to understand these shifts and synthesize them into practical action for the coming year.
Multifamily Housing | May 23, 2023
One out of three office buildings in largest U.S. cities are suitable for residential conversion
Roughly one in three office buildings in the largest U.S. cities are well suited to be converted to multifamily residential properties, according to a study by global real estate firm Avison Young. Some 6,206 buildings across 10 U.S. cities present viable opportunities for conversion to residential use.
Headquarters | May 16, 2023
Workplace HQ for party clothing company Shinesty celebrates its bold, whimsical products
The new Denver headquarters for Shinesty, a party clothing company, was designed to match the brand’s fun image with an iconic array of colors, textures, and prints curated by the design agency, Maximalist. Shinesty’s mission, to challenge the world to live more freely and “take itself less seriously,” is embodied throughout the office interior.
Office Buildings | May 15, 2023
Sixteen-story office tower will use 40% less energy than an average NYC office building
This month marks the completion of a new 16-story office tower that is being promoted as New York City’s most sustainable office structure. That boast is backed by an innovative HVAC system that features geothermal wells, dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units, radiant heating and cooling, and a sophisticated control system to ensure that the elements work optimally together.
Headquarters | May 15, 2023
The new definition of Class A property
Dan Cheetham, Managing Director and Founder of FYOOG, believes organizations returning to a "hub and spoke" model could have a profound effect on properties once considered Class B.
Headquarters | May 9, 2023
New Wells Fargo development in Texas will be bank’s first net-positive campus
A new Wells Fargo development in the Dallas metroplex will be the national bank’s first net-positive campus, expected to generate more energy than it uses. The 850,000-sf project on 22 acres will generate power from solar panels and provide electric vehicle charging stations.
Digital Twin | May 8, 2023
What AEC professionals should know about digital twins
A growing number of AEC firms and building owners are finding value in implementing digital twins to unify design, construction, and operational data.