Bass, Berry & Sims Nashville

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

Bass, Berry & Sims’ new office fosters connection and engagement through purposeful spaces, collaborative settings, and engaging stairways that celebrate movement.

Location

Nashville, Tennessee

Client

Bass, Berry & Sims

Expertise

Professional Services Brand Design [FPO] Office Interiors [FPO] Workplace Strategy

Opportunity

For modern law firms, the office is more than a place to work; it’s an environment that energizes, builds connections, and supports attorneys at every stage of their careers.

With an influx of national firms expanding into cities like Nashville, firms are investing in inspiring workplaces to attract top talent as competition intensifies. For its new Nashville home, Bass, Berry & Sims sought to create a workplace that would embody the firm’s unique culture and generate a sense of pride among staff.

Why This Matters

01
Culture-Led Workplace
The office needed to express Bass, Berry & Sims’ values while giving staff a stronger sense of pride and connection.
02
Connection Across Floors
Because the workplace spans eight floors, the design had to make movement visible, intentional, and conducive to spontaneous staff interactions.
03
Elevated Client Experience
The conference center, downtown views, catering kitchen, and indoor-outdoor board room support a curated experience for clients and visitors.

FPO Quote

Solution

Every element in Bass, Berry & Sims’ new office is designed to bring people together.

A central stair links all eight floors, each arriving at a work café with unique amenities. In line with the firm’s values, the office design prioritizes connection over hierarchy. Rather than private corner offices, shared meeting rooms and collaboration spaces are available for all to leverage. The workplace successfully balances focus and collaboration spaces, thoughtfully considering adjacencies and ensuring quality acoustics.

From brief to build: how a people-first law firm workplace uses movement, amenities, and shared space to connect eight floors.

The design process centered on making a large, multi-floor workplace feel connected and personal. The team used circulation, spatial landmarks, shared amenities, and flexible settings to encourage interaction without sacrificing focus. Stairs, cafés, collaboration areas, and client-facing spaces were planned as a sequence of experiences, giving staff and visitors reasons to move through the office while supporting different work modes, comfort needs, acoustic conditions, and hybrid engagements.

Central Stair Strategy

Misaligned stair openings create movement zones that encourage interaction and give each level a distinct experience.

Impact

This dynamic new workspace thoughtfully considers flexible space types that support multiple uses and easily adapt to suit each user’s unique needs and comfort.

The office invites people to feel a sense of belonging within the office — no matter which floor they work on. The result is a physical space that embodies Bass, Berry & Sims’ brand, culture, and values, and one that inspires and connects people, while meaningfully impacting recruitment and retention.

What Changed Because of This

01
Workplace Experience
Amenities, cafés, flexible settings, and shared corner spaces give staff more ways to connect and customize their workday.
02
Brand Expression
Interactive art, dynamic screens, light sculptures, and curated guest areas translate firm culture into a memorable physical environment.
03
Talent Impact
The workplace supports recruitment and retention by creating a destination where people want to be present, engaged, and connected.

Recognition

01

Office Snapshots

The Gensler-designed Nashville workplace was spotlighted for its focus on connection, collaborative spaces, and stairways that encourage movement across eight floors.

02

Nashville Post

Coverage highlighted Gensler’s opening of its downtown Nashville office, expanding the firm’s presence in the city.

03

Law360 Pulse

Bass, Berry & Sims’ Nashville office was spotlighted for its focus on collaboration, client experience, and a central staircase that links the workplace.

Team

Project Leadership

[FPO] Emily Buchanan

Placeholder for office leadership name "Emily Buchanan" — no matching pagePeople yet. "pnpm migrate resolve-stubs" swaps this for the real page once it exists.

[FPO] Amanda Kendall

Placeholder for office leadership name "Amanda Kendall" — no matching pagePeople yet. "pnpm migrate resolve-stubs" swaps this for the real page once it exists.

[FPO] Brannon Hardy

Placeholder for office leadership name "Brannon Hardy" — no matching pagePeople yet. "pnpm migrate resolve-stubs" swaps this for the real page once it exists.

FAQ

01

What was Gensler’s role in the Bass, Berry & Sims Nashville project?

Gensler served as interior architect/designer for the workplace.

02

What was main design idea for the law office?

A central stair connects eight floors, encouraging movement, spontaneous interaction, and a stronger sense of workplace connection.

03

How does the project support staff?

The workplace balances focus, collaboration, acoustics, flexible settings, and amenities that help people customize their daily routines.

04

How does the project support clients?

The conference center, downtown views, catering kitchen, and indoor-outdoor board room create an elevated guest experience.