4E is a 184-unit residential building located in the SOBRO district of Nashville, Tennessee. The design carefully navigates local zoning codes and setbacks to provide critical access to light, air, and vegetation. A stepped massing with shared, double-height garden balconies inserted at regular intervals provides interior circulation spaces with rare moments of exposure to the exterior, and creates a condition in which every residential unit becomes a corner-unit. A similarly-treated podium steps down to respond to adjacent historic fabric, which also enables the introduction of garden terraces to be visually and experientially enjoyed by the residents.
The interior design strategy responds to the architecture by differentiating “Pods” from “Gardens” with shifts in mood and material. The living units and circulation contained within the Pods cradle dwellers in dark, tactile tones, while Gardens form an expansive liminal space that is warm, lush, and natural. Moving between these complementary interior environments serves to highlight the unique characteristics of the building’s massing and further elevates the experience of inhabiting it.
