Waverly Belmont Elementary School

In the heart of the bustling 12 South Neighborhood sits one of Nashville’s historic architectural gems. The existing 35,000 square foot school was built as part of the New Deal era’s School Building Program in 1935, in the popular period styles of Art Deco and Art Moderne. The three-story brick building has a long-lived stately presence along 10th Avenue. After decades of students walking its halls, the building was decommissioned by the school district in 1974. Since then, it served the district in a variety of ways. Now, with the growing neighborhood and city, the school district decided it was time to restore the school to its former glory while simultaneously meeting demands of a 21st century classroom. The project scope included both a total renovation of the existing building and an addition that almost doubled the total size. The biggest challenge with seamlessly connecting the old and new structures came with reconciling the significant slope across the 5.2-acre site all while providing two separate vehicular access points for cars and buses. Programmed spaces include classrooms, administration, cafeteria, gymnasium, support areas, and an inspiring media center. Aligning with existing levels, the three-level addition pays homage to the original with a vertically-emphasized main entrance. The reborn, 75,600 square foot elementary school now again serves students from the surrounding neighborhoods and appropriately remains a fixture in a growing, changing city.