NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — It’s the office building of tomorrow, in what we’re hoping will be, a post COVID-19 world.

As the Gulch continues its massive growth, a new building on Broadway is setting the standard for the future of office buildings in Nashville, focusing specifically, on human health.

In this Nashville 2020 report, News 2 dug into the roots of ONE22ONE Broadway.

The project sits across from the new Whole Foods, equipped with 365,000 square feet of office space, 15,000 square feet of retail. Once completed, it will sit 24 stories high in the sky.

FirstBank has signed lease for 52,000 square feet to move its headquarters there.

Frank Thomasson, and others, are working hard to fill the rest of the building with tenants.

“Really, the location couldn’t be more ideal for an office building in Nashville. We’re right off the interstate, right on Broadway, we basically act as the gateway to downtown,” Frank Thomasson CCIM, SIOR, First Vice President at CBRE, Nashville.

Now, the building is acting as a gateway into a post COVID-19 environment, with considerations made at every level to mitigate the spread of viruses of any kind including cutting edge, independent HVAC systems, thermal scanning for health screenings, and near touch-less experience including elevator dispatching.

“I think we’ll start seeing other office buildings implementing these same features, we just feel fortunate to be one of the first to implement it in Nashville,” Thomasson said.

Below, you’ll find a full list of health-first features that will be placed in ONE22ONE:

• Ventilation systems designed to meet the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE) latest recommendations addressing infectious aerosols.
• HVAC designed to allow each office floor to operate independently from other floors so there is no sharing of air supply or return air between floors or tenants.
• Thermal scanning in the building lobby to identify individuals with excessive temperatures entering the building.
• UV lights installed at discharge of cooling coils to reduce microbial growth in all common areas.
• Near touch-less building access to minimize cross contamination.
• The building will utilize destination dispatch for the elevator controls – this is a smart system that creates both more convenient elevator access and allows the concierge to isolate visitors from tenants by directing people to a specific elevator based on where they are going. It eliminates crowds of people standing in a small area waiting for an elevator. It also removes the need for passengers to touch controls in the elevators and significantly reduces crowding on elevators.
• Other touch-less features in the building include hands free faucets, soap dispensers, toe pulls on bathroom doors and hands-free motion sensor light switches. Parking access, elevators and doors will all be integrated with a mobile phone app for easy touch-less access.
• Enhanced cleaning protocols that will follow governmental recommendations for products, frequency, and scope for all common areas and amenities including fitness center and meal serving and preparation areas.
• As digital infrastructure is necessary to power a touch-less experience, the building will feature a secure WiredScore certification that gives tenants assurance of the design intent. WiredScore is a global technology certification organization that has certified over 2,000 buildings worldwide.
• 24-hour concierge service to allow for needs such as staggered arrival and departure times, monitored of use of common spaces to maintain social distancing and established common area traffic patterns.
• Comprehensive emergency response plan updated with the latest best practices to address infectious disease protocols. Elements will include more substantial air ventilation filters, enhanced fresh air flushing, and increased frequency of janitorial services among other things.
• Pursuit of The International WELL Building Institute’s WELL v2 designation. The WELL v2 is the next version of the pioneering WELL Building Standard which was the first building rating system to focus exclusively on the impacts of buildings on human health and wellness

“It’s still too early to understand how far reaching the COVID-19 impact is going to have on the office landscape, but giving companies and office users the opportunity to make well-informed real estate decisions that allow them to be mindful of providing a health and wellness office environment for their employees.”

The ONE22ONE is set to be completed in 2022.

GBT Realty’s development team for ONE22ONE is spearheaded by Jeff Pape and Fiona Haulter. Gresham Smith & Partners is leading architecture and design duties. Brasfield & Gorrie is leading the ongoing construction as the general contractor.