Lipscomb University engineering students help solve two challenges at Gaylord Opryland
A total of 10 students worked on the problems last year and this year.
For the past two years, civil engineering students at Lipscomb University have partnered with the engineering department at Nashville’s iconic Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center on a pair of projects to provide fresh ideas to address the tough issues that come with success.
The nationally known hotel features expansive indoor atriums that are home to a wide variety of tropical plants requiring specific conditions to thrive. One of those requirements, humidity, has posed ongoing challenges.
In addition, the popularity of the hotel, especially during Christmas when its grounds and atriums play host to various holiday attractions and décor, creates thorny traffic problems that stretch onto the surrounding roadways.
In 2024, a group of senior engineering students – Alyssa Hampton, Tracie Santiago, Saly Alammuri, Taylor Crawford, Jonathan Ochoa-Guzman, Gracie Hall, Daniel Harvey, and Tamyra Kirby – analyzed the humidity situation as their capstone senior project.
In 2025, one senior student, Eli Lockert, followed up with a financial analysis of the solutions to the humidity problem, and another student, Kennedy Case, focused on potential options to mitigate traffic congestion issues.
High humidity levels and poor air circulation within The Delta Atrium, a go-to section of the hotel for visitors, have led to condensation on the glass ceilings during winter months and uncomfortable temperature differences in pockets throughout the atrium.
Working with Gaylord Opryland Senior Director of Engineering Mark Petty, the 2024 student team toured the hotel site, collected Gaylord’s data on the issues, took their own measurements, and used moisture load calculations to take into account the amount of moisture humans themselves add to the equation, said Monica Sartain, P.E., Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department.
The students presented their suggestions to the Opryland engineering team in 2024, recommending removing moisture from the atrium through an integrated HVAC upgrade by installing 15 desiccant wheels into the atrium’s existing rooftop air handling units and nine new 24-inch fans for improved air circulation.
In addition they recommended constructing two new vestibules equipped with dehumidifiers between the hotel’s Delta atrium and the adjacent Soundwaves water park, which must be kept very humid, and the Cascades atrium area.
“Our partnership with Lipscomb University has been incredibly valuable for both Gaylord Opryland and the participating senior students,” said Petty. “The students gain hands-on experience applying their academic knowledge in a dynamic and challenging real-world environment. In turn, we benefit from fresh, innovative solutions to our technical challenges with exposure to the latest advancements in engineering and technology. The collaboration has fostered a rewarding and energizing exchange of ideas and perspectives.”
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