Nashville—Last month, Nissan Americas dedicated its regional headquarters for the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with more than 1,500 employees, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander attending the day-long event.

Designed by Nashville-based Gresham Smith and Partners in close conjunction with Nissan's own design team, the 10-story building promotes functionality and collaboration, while interpreting both the Nissan and Infiniti brands through materials. It provides 460,000 sq. ft. of office space. (The previous headquarters in Los Angeles was a campus of 13 separate buildings that did not reflect Nissan's branding and culture of teamwork.)

Features of the new building include an underfoot HVAC system housed under an 18-in. raised floor with customizable diffusers; "town centers" that foster spontaneous meetings and brainstorming; 2.5-acre wetlands behind the building where Nissan has planted more than 50,000 native plants, and which is fed by an underground spring and run-off from nearby retention ponds.

"We wanted to memorialize the 'places between places'," explains Jack Weber, IIDA, principal at Gresham Smith and Partners and interior designer on the project. The town centers and staircase and other small nooks are meant to feel spontaneous and free, perfect for quick, informal meetings. The town centers feature full-wall white boards next to seating areas. They also provide refreshments or serve as a copy center with paper and mail slots.

"We wanted everyone to think of the whole building as their workspace," says Steven P. Johnson, AIA, executive vice president at GS&P.

Besides the under-foot HVAC, a sunshade system as well as low-emission glass add to the building's energy efficiency. It also is topped off with a green roof, which incorporates 7,500 sq. ft. of six varieties of low-growing creeping red sedum.

The lobby is a true blending of both brands. The use of wood, leather, and stone represents the Infiniti brand of "graceful strength," while silvers, metals, reds, and stainless aluminum present the "bold and thoughtful" Nissan brand.

Besides commemorating the new building, Nissan announced its plans for the future, which include the launch of electric vehicles in the United States and Japan in 2010 and in 2012 for mass-market commercial delivery. This also will involve forming a partnership with the State of Tennessee, with participation from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and other partners, to help the state support the deployment of infrastructure for such vehicles, including charging stations in public places.

"Nissan Americas is an investment in our future," says Nissan Americas president and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "We purposefully designed the building to inspire and enhance collaboration among our employees. The building also is a statement about our confidence in the continued growth of Nissan in the Americas and our unyielding commitment to environmental sustainability."