The Nashville Food Project — Chris Hoal, AIA

The Nashville Food Project HQ

The Nashville Food Project, a local non-profit dedicated to alleviating hunger, had outgrown its existing location. The staff needed a tailored space to support their growth; one in which volunteers cook and supply meals to the needy all across the city - not only by gleaning food from local restaurants and grocery stores but by growing their own food in a network of community gardens. To meet these needs a new typology was conceived; part commercial kitchen, part office, and part community dining.

The new headquarters was chosen to be located in a historically low-income community so that the organization could figuratively and literally open its doors directly to the people it serves; for the first time in a space of their own and not behind a food truck window. The building had to simultaneously represent the neighborhood and integrate into it, creating a wholly new space that would redefine and help establish a new trajectory for the community.

It was extremely important to the design team to never forget that when providing design services for a non-profit that economy of means is their creed - and economy of means must also become the creed of the design team. This can mean using cost effective materials, but it can also mean ensuring that the heart of the organization is on display is every facet of the design, and that the design is built of layers of meaning so that effect is maximized with modest material resources.

Client: The Nashville Food Project

Location: Nashville, TN

Square Feet: 5,990

Program: Non-Profit Headquarters

Year Completed: 2019

Role: Project Design Leader

Project Architect

Awards: 2020 AIA Gulf States Honor Citation

2020 AIA Tennessee Award of Excellence

2019 ABC Tennessee Eagle Award

2017 AIA Middle Tennessee Merit Award