Client

Ramsey Solutions

Location

Franklin, TN

Services

Architecture, Engineering, Interior Design, Planning

Due to their tremendous growth, Ramsey Solutions, founded by personal money-management expert, best-selling author and radio personality Dave Ramsey, enlisted Gresham Smith to develop a multi-phased campus master plan comprising 600,000 square feet of office space and a 50,000-square-foot conference center to be located in the Berry Farms development of Williamson County.

204k
square feet
6
stories
15k
square foot amenity center
A drone shot of the Ramsey Solutions headquarters building under construction

Starting with a Site

Our first step in creating the new campus was developing a master plan with ample parking, smart stormwater management, and phases spread evenly across the site. We ultimately placed the buildings in areas that took advantage of the natural topography and eliminated the majority of soil waste. The site’s existing hills and tree groves allowed us to frame the visitor entrance and create a natural amphitheater, which can be used by employees and visitors alike.

An interior shot of the lobby at the Ramsey Solutions headquarters building

Flexible and Adaptable

The first phase of the master plan encompasses a new 204,000-square-foot, six-story corporate headquarters and a 15,000-square-foot employee/customer lobby connector that will consolidate the company’s dispersed offices into a singular location. We set out to create an inspired new headquarters for Ramsey Solutions that provides maximum flexibility for both current and future growth and allows departments to expand as needed. More than 1,000 team members will work from this larger, more accommodating office space.

The Dave Ramsey show studio at the Ramsey Solutions headquarters building

A New Space for the Ramsey Solutions’ Team and Their Guests

The new headquarters’ design features two broadcast studios, one of which is used exclusively for “The Dave Ramsey Show” as well as a Studio B for The Ken Coleman Show, The Chris Hogan Show and other programming. We’ve also created a green room and viewing areas for guests that will allow audience members to participate in the show. In addition, there are new studios for Ramsey’s growing library of video and audio shows, podcasts and webinars.

Rows of chairs overlooking a stage at the Ramsey Solutions headquarters building

Getting All Hands on Deck

A key challenge for our design team was creating a large communal space for all-hands meetings that could seat 1,000 people and be reconfigured for dining space during the lunch hour. Our team worked together to create a large two-story space that meets this requirement while also functioning as the main entrance for both Ramsey Solutions’ team members on Level 1 and radio show visitors and guests on Level 2.

Employees interacting in the office common areas at the Ramsey Solutions headquarters building

Defining a New Workplace

We interviewed Ramsey Solutions’ team members from every department to garner a clear understanding of how they worked, the challenges they were experiencing with their current workspace, and the changes they would like to see in their future workspace. Based on this vital feedback, our team developed an open floor plan that features access to daylight, open workstations that can accommodate more than 1,000 employees, and numerous indoor and outdoor spaces for team gatherings, lunches and devotionals.

A driveway and a flag pole outside of the Ramsey Solutions headquarters building

Embracing the Company Spirit

The new Ramsey Solutions headquarters not only facilitates collaboration, growth and flexibility, but also serves as a new home office for a message of hope that embraces the company DNA for all users of the building—from team members and corporate clients to Fortune 500 companies, church groups and fans alike.

Design of Phase 2 of the project, which includes another office building totaling approximately 192,000 square feet, is now underway. Future phases include additional office space and a 50,000-square-foot conference center.

A bookstore and café with people interacting at the Ramsey Solutions headquarters building

More Room for Books & Coffee

To provide the extra space needed for these important guest amenities, the design situates the bookstore and café inside a second-floor connector and directly behind the main reception desk, placing them front and center as visitors enter the building.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

To help illustrate the development of the design, our team utilized 3D imagery. We also created a virtual reality (VR) presentation to help bring the architecture to life and give the client a more immersive experience of their new space.

Working with Gresham Smith has been absolutely incredible. It’s been a large learning process for us, but with the right team in place, it makes a multi-million-dollar project run smoothly. We’re building a place where work gets done, and that work is called hope for the people that are not in the building. Dave Ramsey Founder, Ramsey Solutions