Civic Design Center + Inclusion Tennessee Report (2023)

The mission of the Civic Design Center is to advocate for civic design visions and actionable change in communities to improve quality of life for all.

October 2022

The mission of Inclusion Tennessee (In|TN) is to connect people, opportunities, and resources to enrich and enhance the multi-faceted lgbtqia+ community.

This content was created by Allie Miller, Design Intern with contributions from Eric Hoke, Design Director, Joseph Mayes, Project Manager, Taylan Tekeli, Research & Design Assistant, and Remington Lynch, Landscape Planning Associate,

In|TN’s desire is to address the greatest needs learned from the 2019 community visioning project by developing impact oriented initiatives, to ensure we can all live in a place where we belong and thrive.

Working with the commutiy to desing a LGBTQIA+ Community Center in Nashville with satellite services throughout the mid-state that create safe spaces addressing some of our greatest cneeds in the region.

civicdesigncenter.org

inclusiontn.org

“The greatness of community is most accurately measured by the compassionate action of its members.”

Our Task

Create a vision for a building(s) that will be safe, welcoming, designed, and programmed to reflect the LGBTQIA+ community in Middle Tennessee.

- Coretta Scott King

What we heard Embrace

The idea is simple: belonging and connection are universal sources of actual well-being. After a one-year study of Middle Tennessee’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities in 2019, researchers identified a significant lack of connection and belonging throughout the LGBTQ+ population. As the responses from nearly 2,500 community members were distilled, researchers quickly began identifying and understanding the unmet needs of the LGBTQ+ population.

Pride

Engaging with 600+ people at Pride in June provided us with initial feedback about the spaces and locations that are most important to Middle Tennesseans for the LGBTQIA+ community center.

Other Engagement

Between almost 400 people engaged with us, both online and in-person, as we set out to determine what types of programs and designs elements would best serve the future facility.

*We recorded 994 interactions but discussed with many more during informal conversations at various events.

More then 1000* people gave their thoughts about what they would like to see in a LGBTQIA+ community center in Mid-TN!

COMMUNITY Engagement

Stakeholder Groups

Members of the public who have no special role, could be potential attendees of the center, and have interest in the center’s development.

An organization that could provide programming or services in conjunction with In|TN

2022 Timeline

An organization that could collaborate on issue awareness and policy concerns with INTN

Appointed and/or volunteer members of the steer committee, likely affiliated with In|TN board, charged with providing feedback and direction to the developing project

COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SURVEY

After analyzing feedback from our Pride event engagement, we asked a series of questions through an anonymous survey to gauge the types of programming the community wants to see in the future LGBTQIA+ Community Center and understand what needs to be included in the designs.

Likelyhood of Use

On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being very likely to use, what extent would the community use the following resources if included in the center. The shaded chart represents the number of votes for each number on the scale.

Outdoor Space

4

Desired Programming & Resources

Ranked from most important (1) to least important (10)

Health Clinic (Mental or Physical)

3.9

Cafe-like Space for Social Activites

4.4

Retailler in Common Area

3.3

Fitness Center

2.8

Large Event Space

Key Features

3.7

On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being a resource that should be a key feature of of the community center. The shaded chart represents the number of votes for each number on the scale.

Affordable Housing

3.5

Senoir Housing

3.3

Co-working

2.9

desired programming

After synthesizing the results from the community feedback survey, 10 more spatial programming elements were discovered as being important to the community. These programming elements are listed in each diagram to the right and carry on their designated colors throughout the rest of the designs. (A key will be listed at the bottom of each page as a reminder.)

Figure 1: Approximate Square Footage Bubble Diagram represents an abstract spatial arrangement of the programming elements. Each bubble is sized approximately and placed adjacent to programming it should remain near in the community center. These spaces are further studied in the following pages through their relationships to one another and their design implications.

Figure 2: Programming Chart lists the spatial programming elements studied throughout this document. The middle column represents the approximate amount of square footage each space would need in a building. This number comes from various precedent research for similar programming and will vary depending on the site and building selected.

It should be noted that there are other desired resources for the community center including social servies like legal advocay, religious resources, and vocational training that should be considered in programming but may fit into co-working and office spaces or gathering spaces and are not listed as their own space.

Spatial Programming Element

Approx. average square footage in building

Figure 1: Approximate Square Footage Bubble Diagram Figure 2: Programming Chart

programming & precedent studies

Precedent research was used to understand the designs of various LGBTQIA+ community centers as well as to seek more information about individual programming elements. Below are some of the LGBTQIA+ specific community centers that were used to understand spatial requiements.

PERCENTAGE COMPARISON OF PROGRAMMING

Los Angeles LGBT Center

This community center provides the community with youth and senior housing integrated into a multi building campus. The organizational layout provides seperation and secure access into the more private spaces while the community cafe and plaza are more public. The community center provides 100 beds for homeless youth, 25 supportive housing untis for youth, and 99 affordable housing units for seniors. A commercial kitchen, various senior resources, and a youth academy all work together to support the center.

Unlike the following pie charts, this graph includes both on site or garage parking as well as the various housing typologies. Parking and housing take up about a third of the programming respectively leaving only one third of the community center to fill all other programmatic funcitons. The center would likely need a minimum of 100,000 square feet of space for this not including the parking itself. Locating the center in close proximity to public transportation or greenways and other resources may reduce the need for parking on a larger scale.

PERCENTAGE COMPARISON OF PROGRAMMING (WITHOUT PARKING)

Victorian Pride Center

Located in Melbourne, AU, this community center provides ample gathering spaces including a coworking space, cafe, functional theater, recording studios, community garden, archive, and retail space. The space also provides health services as well as many adaptable spaces that allow for fluidity and change in programming and for possible expansion.

When comparing the percentages of the programming without parking included, housing begins to fill about half of the space. Housing here is including senior housing and resources, youth housing and resources, emergency shelter, and affordable housing. With the great need for housing in Nashville and the desire from the community to see affordable and senior housing in the center, including housing in the comunity center could greatly benefit the LGBTQIA+ community.

PERCENTAGE COMPARISON OF PROGRAMMING (WITHOUT PARKING & HOUSING)

Center on Halsted

Located in Chicago, the space provides a majority of event spaces through a large recreation hall, theater, and reception hall. Smaller multipurpose meeting spaces and classrooms fill the center alongside mental and physical health spaces. Youth and senior programming is amplified here and the town hall apartments on the same block offer 79 apartment units to 55+ LGBTQ residents. The apartment includes a computer lab, library, phsycial therapy space, fitness, laundry, community kitchen along with retail spaces.

This pie chart demonstrates the relation of the programming square footage for all community center spaces except for housing and parking. Event space as well as the other gathering spaces take up the largest amount, followed by health spaces, and then retail. Using this diagram, there is a more clear understanding of the relationships of the programming to each other. This can be stand alone or can show a more zoomed in look at what is happening in the leftover third or half in the first and second charts.

spatial organization & Design

The connection of programming is important to making the community center a safe and successful space. Below are some abstract ideas of floor plan layouts that can support the desires of the Nashville community. These digrams represent different layout ideas and are no necessarily accurate to size or location.

Linear

Central / Circular

Privacy Gradient

Single Level

Multi-Level

The public to private threshold is especially important in a community center that needs to feel safe and secure while also being inclusive and welcoming. Retail, the cafe, and outdoor space are closer to the top meaning they can be open to the public. Private access to outdoor space is also important. Other gathering spaces (oranges and purples on the diagram are located more centrally along with some health services becasue these spaces may require secure access but can still be accessible for visitors. Housing and health care spaces would require the most privacy for the safety of the community.

This diagram depicts a more linear layout where circulation relies directly on the privacy gradient: the deeper into the building the more private the space.

This diagram depicts a more centralized programming approach where an outdoor space or main space would be the focal point to the supporting outer spaces.

This diagram represents a multi level community center, where the most private spaces are higher up and the public spaces are on the ground level.

This diagram represents a single story layout where retail meets the street and a courtyard creates privacy and circlation towards the back.

Spatial organization & design

The programmable spaces are divided into gathering spaces, health and wellbeing space, affordable housing, and safety. Programming such as retail and administration are included in diagrams but do not necessarily fit into these categories. Figure 3 depicts an imaginary building to show the relationship of programming in a building type. The locations that the community preferes the center to be in would allow for a multi-story building. This diagram follows the previous privacy gradients and programming connections.

Cafe

Event Space

Co-working

Maker Space

Community Kitchen

Library

Archive

Computer Lab

Multipurpose Space

Fitness

Child & Family Programs

Physical Health Clinic

Mental Health Clinic Resources

Pharmacy

Group Counseling

Support Group Space

Individual Counseling

Emergency Shelter

Homelessness Resources

Public Showers and Toilets

Outdoor Spaces

Mirco Units

Multi-bedroom Units

Senior Housing

Youth Housing

Transitional Housing

Secure Access

Lobby Attendent

Parking

Circulation

Wayfinding

Privacy

Universal Design

Figure 3: Exploded Axonometric

gathering spaces

Healthcare spaces for both mental and psycical health are the number one priority of the community for this center. The design impications for these spaces requires privacy and seperation from the more fun and loud gathering spaces. Community feedback revealed the desire for day use health clinic rooms with a more residential, softer design style compared to a more sterile clinical feeling. Mental health spaces such as meditation and yoga, quiet rooms, and flexible spaces for support groups and group counseling are recommened to be adjacent to the physical health space and a private outdoor space dedicated to these spaces.

cozy, calm gathering spaces

multi purpose spaces for various sized gatherings

colorful, collabrative office spaces

small

community kitchen

private & shared maker spaces

business and retail options

gathering spaces

coworking

Communal working space with room for a small kitchen, various workstations, small meeting rooms, classrooms, etc. The community kitchen would likely be directly connected to the space. The library and archives may also be connected.

maker space

Studio spaces that can be rented out or shared

Multipurpose space:

Space with flexible dividers and moveable furniture for a variety of gatherings: support groups, youth activity, educational purposes, fitness, etc...

event space

A larger, flexible space for events or live music, including a stage and possibly seating. Could be divided into smaller multi-purpose spaces or a seperate space.

Cafe:

A public cafe owned and operated by the community center acting as a liason between the public and the LGBTQIA+ community encouraging familirity and inclusion.

health & wellbeing spaces

Healthcare spaces for both mental and psycical health are the number one priority of the community for this center. The design impications for these spaces requires privacy and seperation from the more fun and loud gathering spaces. Community feedback revealed the desire for day use health clinic rooms with a more residential, softer design style compared to a more sterile clinical feeling. Mental health spaces such as meditation and yoga, quiet rooms, and flexible spaces for support groups and group counseling are recommened to be adjacent to the physical health space and a private outdoor space dedicated to these spaces.

support group spaces

health & wellbeing spaces

health & wellbeing spaces

Outdoor Spaces

Outdoor spaces are desired in more private settings like courtyards or rooftop gardens but public outdoor spaces are also encouraged. Private outdoor space like community gardens could connect directly with other gathering spaces while tranquil courtyards may be reserved for private wellbeing uses. Events or casual meetings could utilize more lively outdoor spaces that are still safe.

Public spaces should be used carefully to encourage an intermingling of the community in a safe and welcoming way. Connection to public resources such as transportation would be beneficial to increasing the accessibility of the center to those outside the neighborhood the center is in. This could also help reduce the need for larger, more expensive parking structures.

public outdoor space to welcome and engage with the community through flexible seating, shade, and activities.

affordable housing

The desire for affordable housing, senior housing, youth housing, and emergency shelter was expressed through the community feedback with the most recognizable need for LGBTQIA+ senior housing. Housing as a program itself could be located as a stand alone resource near the community center, though about half of the community would prefer it directly adjacent for use of the other resources. The need for emergency shelter was expressed and would be most beneficial in a transitional short stay housing space with a private room. Both single studio apartments and multi-bedroom apartments were deemed necessary to the community. A mixing and mingling of these typologies may be benficial to the various age groups in need of housing and would foster a diverse community.

safety & accessibility

From our engagement surveys and discussing with community members, safety and accessibilty are a concern that needs to be address in all programmed spaces and each part of the design. Ranked 3rd for importance in the future community center, safe controlled access spaces are crucial. The thought of typical security measures like policing or metal detectors were okay to the community but not ideal shown in the data below. To feel secure, the community prefered to have a 24/7 lobby attendent on site to oversee those entering the center over a keycard access center. They also prefereed a single building with internal circulation to more private spaces. Provding seperate lobby spaces for more private programming like health care is recommended to ensure safety and comfort of visitors.

Accessibility in the space deals with secure access as well as providing an inclusive and welcoming environment. Universal Design Principles should be applied in the design of the space to ensure adequate spaces for all abilities. Universal Design goes above the general ADA requirements and aims to make the built environment accessible for a wider range of people.

Security Concerns

Rated 1-5 where 5 represents a highly suppoted idea and 1 represents a strongly unsupported idea. The shaded chart represents the number of votes for each number on the scale.

Community center should be a private safe space, and less public facing

Community center should have controlled access / metal detectors to access the facility

Access

Community center should be protected by armed guards

A lobby space with secure access may look like a 24/7 attendent monitoring and assisting with wayfinding through the space without the need for less friendly guards or metal detectors.

Designing for privacy through secluded courtyards and controlled circulation

Designing for safety with lobby surviellence in a friendly and welcoming space

Location site location

Through engagement at Pride and through the survey, Davidson County was identified as the top location where the center should be located. Below is data showing the desired resources to be in close proximity to the center. The heat map on the right shows that East Nashville is the most desired location for the center followed by midtown.

The desire for a designated parking area specific to the center was expressed over street parking. Chosing a site with access to greenways and public transportation could reduce the overall footprint of the building.

Neighborhood Amenities in Close Proximity

1 as far away and 10 as very close. The shaded chart represents the number of votes for each number on the scale.

recommended sites

Morris Memorial Building

about 465,000 Square Feet

Pros: Historic Building (Design by Moses McKissack III, founder of first African American Architecture firm in Tennessee), next to Elizabeth Duff Transit Center (WeGo Central, Centrally located in Nashville’s Urban Core

Tennessee School for the Blind

About 51,700 Square Feet

Pros: Centrally Located, Neighbors with future Wharf Park and Browns Creek/ Rolling Mill Hill Greenway, Historic Building, Publicly owned

Cons: Old building needs significant renovation

East Side Station

About 60,000 Square Feet

Pros: Located in the second most suggested location based on community feedback, building is in good condition.

Cons: Just sold, building frontage poorly address street

Cons: Old building needs significant renovation

Developmental Sites For Location Consideration (no existing building):

407 Drift St (Wearhouse South Of Downtown) East Bank (East Nashville) 945 Woodland St (Lockeland Springs) 1727 Church St (Midtown)