O’More Students Design for Possible Nashville MLB Team

Belmont’s first integrated design studio became one for the books as students wrapped up their semester-long project last week. For the past four months, students from O’More College of Architecture and Design have joined forces with Music City Baseball, an organization of Nashville leaders dedicated to bringing a Major League Baseball franchise to Nashville in 2027. 

The students’ task was to design a multi-use space called “The Link,” attached to the possible future baseball stadium. This space would be a “community-focused project intended to become part of the fabric of the city” and act as a centerpiece for sports, family and entertainment. 

Anthony Monica, assistant professor of architecture, and Peter Aylsworth, lecturer of interior design, emulated a professional design agency setting among students, preparing them for post-graduation work. Put into teams of mixed domains, architecture students were stretched to learn more about interior design, and vice versa, creating more opportunities for collaboration.

“It’s been a really good experience,” said Kim Paige Sullivan, an architecture student. “One of the biggest challenges we faced was figuring out how to let the two disciplines' differences and similarities shine through our team’s work. We started as strangers and ultimately figured out everyone’s strengths and learned how to thrive.”

The design teams participated in a workshop and mid-semester critique with the same jury who would be sitting in on their final presentations and providing the students with detailed feedback on their project and presentation. 

Students were given an extensive list of criteria to think about, such as revenue, sustainability, emotional connection, year-round usage, space for staff and creating a family-friendly space that provides multiple solutions for the community, even area flood plans. 

On Dec. 4, the teams presented their final designs, receiving encouragement from both the panel of local design professionals along with Music City Baseball executive leadership directly involved in creating the future space. The jury also offered advice on building a portfolio and learning from classmates.

“These are kind of concepts and work we see in our own office,” said Daniel Cremin of HASTINGS Architecture. “The architecture and interior design is exceptionally strong, so kudos to you.”

While teamwork, ideation and formation of the mockups were a large portion of the project, students were also challenged to communicate their ideas effectively – both verbally and visually. They showcased their ideas for a Negro League Baseball Museum focused on the Nashville Stars, a Stars team store, a pub, a multipurpose event space, a parking structure and other community spaces. 

“You all have had the opportunity to bring this space to life for the first time,” said Chris Bacon, head of communications & media relations for Music City Baseball. “This is a fresh palette, a blank slate, and you've elevated it to a level that I'm so inspired by.”

Matt Barrett, Music City Baseball CFO agreed and said, “It is a very memorable moment for me in my journey with Music City Baseball. Thank you for making this real for me – I feel like now for the first time, I can imagine what it may be like to walk over there and get to that stadium.”

Reflecting on the semester, Ame Ehrhardt, a third-year interior design student said, “This project meant a lot to me because I learned so much about working together and with professionals that I'll be working with after college. It helped me learn a lot about how to interact with and care for people in hard situations, and I feel like I'm walking away from a new pride in interior design, even more than I had before.”