225 Polk
225 Polk
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Creative Office Space
The purchase of the former main branch of the Nashville Public Library marked an exciting moment for growing firm Hastings Architecture and downtown Nashville. Recognized for its arched windows wrapping the main floor and boasting elegant marble and walnut interiors, the 1960s historic landmark building offered impressive views of the city and distinctive design elements. After the building stood empty for years, however, those standout features required careful restoration.
In planning the building retrofit for Hastings’ new headquarters, the leadership team traveled the city looking for the exterior glass appearance that aligned with their vision. They knew a low-E, high performance coated glass could deliver the required performance of a contemporary office building while keeping the look that helped make the building an important part of Nashville architecture.
Hastings specified Guardian SunGuard™ SuperNeutral™ 68 HT coating on low-iron Guardian UltraClear™ glass in oversized lites to fit the original curtainwall frames, which were cutting-edge for the time, as well as the second-floor windows. Independent Guardian Select™ Fabricator Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope® fabricated the oversized lites and independent Glazier Connection Member™ Alexander Metals, Inc. installed the replacement glass.
SunGuard SuperNeutral 68 HT coating on UltraClear glass has a high visible light transmission of 71 percent, delivering abundant daylight. Low-iron UltraClear glass reduces the green tint of standard glass for a neutral aesthetic with stunningly clarity for those exceptional views, while SunGuard SN 68 HT coating on UltraClear glass keeps the solar heat gain coefficient at a low 0.38 to help provide occupant comfort and manage HVAC loads.
The retrofit has earned Hastings an AIA Middle Tennessee Merit Award and Nashville Downtown Partnership Invest Award.