Completed in the Fall of 2014, the Janet Ayers Academic Center is a 186,000 square foot structure located on the corner of Wedgewood and 15th Avenues. From the five-level underground garage, fit to hold 430 vehicles to the Fourth Floor Conference Center offering a perfect bird’s-eye view of Nashville’s skyline, the building stands as a cornerstone for the University that seeks to serve both its growing student body and its dynamic hometown.
As Belmont’s largest academic building, the Janet Ayers Academic Center houses three colleges—the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, the College of Sciences & Mathematics and the College of Theology &Christian Ministry—and every undergraduate student will take courses in the building as part of the University’s general education curriculum. In addition, the structure also houses Belmont’s 300-seat Herbert C. Gabhart Chapel, which hosts worship services every Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as special events throughout the year.
Thirty classrooms that vary in capacity from 24-72 seats allow flexibility of use, while numerous smaller seminar and group study rooms enable more in-depth and focused discussions among students and faculty. In addition, the building houses 20 science labs outfitted with more than $2 million dollars in equipment, including state-of-the-art spectrometers, a microwave reaction chamber, a cold room and incubators for biological studies, a state-of-the-art laser laboratory and an acoustics laboratory. A student-centered service area on the first floor allows for personal assistance via a Writing Center, Math Lab, Computer Science Lab, Language Learning Lab and a centrally located Service Learning and International Education office. Also on the first floor, the campus community can enjoy dining options featuring Burrito Bowl, Freshëns Smoothies and a We Proudly Brew Starbucks outlet.
The Janet Ayers Academic Center was designed and constructed using sustainable practices to help reduce its environmental impact. The building earned LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in May 2015, becoming the first University to achieve Platinum certification in Tennessee and the first LEED for New Construction Platinum project in Nashville. The Center incorporates a number of green features including multiple green roofs (including one for academic use next to a biology lab); garage recycling room and trash compactor; LED lighting and motion-sensors in all offices, classrooms and labs; a variable flow refrigerant HVAC system and a cutting-edge chilled beam mechanical system in conjunction with a VAV system throughout the building.
Stop Categories: Academic, Dining Option, Parking Garage