A modern four-story apartment building is lit up at night, with glowing streetlights casting starburst patterns across a grassy courtyard. Benches and a purple climbing dome sit in front of the building, which features small balconies and a prominent spiral staircase on the right side, framed by large trees and a clear evening sky. Daytime aerial of a contemporary apartment complex with balconies and tree-lined walkways surrounding green lawns and a shaded seating area, with city buildings visible in the distance. Evening view of a modern apartment exterior with metal cladding and an open-air stairwell illuminated by bright overhead lights. Landscaped lawn and paved pathways in the foreground. Twilight courtyard scene of a four-story apartment building with balconies, string lights, trees, and residents walking through a well-lit communal gathering space. Aerial view of a modern apartment complex at dusk with downtown Nashville skyline in the background. Courtyard below is lit with decorative string lights creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Cherry Oak Apartments

Under an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, Smith Gee Studio was selected to design Cherry Oak Apartments—the fifth phase of mixed-income redevelopment within the Cayce Transformation, Nashville’s largest public housing site. This phase carefully ties into neighboring mixed-income communities and connects to a future central park, anchored by the preservation of a beloved, award-winning Cherrybark Oak Tree—the heart of a new neighborhood gathering space.

The building features 96 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, each with a private balcony or stoop to foster community interaction and enhance street-level visibility. Continuing their role in shaping the district, Smith Gee Studio has since been retained by MDHA to design the next two adjacent phases of housing, as well as the central community park.

Year:

2024

Location:

Nashville, TN

Architect:

Smith Gee Studio

Client:

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA)

Services:

Architecture, Interior Design, & Master Planning

Awards:

Metro Nashville Tree Advisory Committee, Commercial Builder and Developer Award (George H. Cate, Jr. Award), 2025