The Foxtrot Nashville
Client:: Brendan Donelson
Type:: Mixed-Use
Location:: 2125 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN
Size:: 40k
Budget:: 11.4 million
Completed:: 2020
Partner images:: The Foxtrot Nashville
🧭 Overview
The Foxtrot is a boldly modern mixed-use development located in Nashville’s Melrose district, just minutes from Broadway. Designed by rootARCH, this four-story structure combines street-level commercial space, luxury residential living, and panoramic rooftop views—anchoring a prominent corner along the 8th Avenue corridor. With a design vision originating in the early 2000s, the project balances expressive architecture with urban functionality, contributing vibrancy and identity to the evolving neighborhood.
✨ Key Features
1. Modern Design with Sculpted Massing
The building’s exterior is defined by clean lines, dark-toned materials, and a series of push-pull volumes that create rhythm and depth. Private balconies and rooftop terraces are revealed through strategic articulation, while a mix of materials provides texture and visual contrast. The Foxtrot’s modern form stands apart from its surroundings, yet feels purposefully integrated into the neighborhood fabric.
2. Street-Engaging Commercial Frontage
At grade, a concrete podium base aligns with the street, supporting a vibrant commercial space and multi-level event suite. Large storefront windows promote transparency and connection to the pedestrian realm. A sloping drive aisle leads to basement parking, maximizing site use and maintaining a clean streetscape.
3. Private Living Above the Activity
Levels two through four contain six high-end residential units, each with private outdoor access via balconies or rooftop decks. The rooftop patio crowns the building with expansive downtown views—offering residents a unique blend of luxury, privacy, and connection to the city skyline.
⚖️ Design Challenges & Solutions
Balancing public-facing commercial energy with resident privacy and security required a layered approach. The design establishes a clear vertical separation between commercial and residential uses, with controlled access for tenants and secure circulation to upper levels. Efficient site planning, including below-grade parking, enabled the team to maximize usable floor area on a constrained infill lot.
✅ Outcome
The Foxtrot has quickly become a landmark of contemporary architecture in Melrose, showcasing what’s possible in urban infill and mixed-use development. It embodies rootARCH’s ethos: bold design, efficient planning, and livable, layered spaces that respond to site, program, and city.
Whether experienced from the street or enjoyed from the rooftop, the Foxtrot elevates everyday living in the heart of Nashville.
Project Images:
