Acts of Faith

From contending with generational termite damage to recreating 200-year-old masonry to choreographing a flying steeple, construction projects at houses of worship can present some of the industry’s most unique challenges.

Those challenges are becoming increasingly common. Sales of surplus church properties (often in desirable city locations) have spurred adaptive reuse projects. Meanwhile, the growth of some congregations (often caused by young people returning to mainline faiths) is prompting churches to renovate existing buildings and expand their campuses.

Restoring 1700s construction

When Lewis Contractors began the St. Peter’s Catholic Church project in Queenstown, crews faced a significant scope of work. Craftsmen would complete a list of exterior improvements — repointing brick masonry, repairing the bell tower, refurbishing stained glass windows, and installing new copper gutters, downspouts and a slate roof. Inside, they would complete plaster repairs and a flooring restoration.  

The work was meticulous. Craftsmen from Worcester Eisenbrandt analyzed samples of the original mortar to create an exact match for the repairs. Inside, painters discovered that layers of incompatible paint applied over the years had to be stripped to bare wood before the walls could be properly restored.

Closer inspection of the late 1700s building revealed a more dramatic need.

“You wouldn’t notice it as you were driving by on Route 50 at 60 miles an hour, but standing in the parking lot you could see that the bell tower was leaning,” said Jeff Childs, Project Manager with Lewis Contractors. “Its structural corners had suffered a lot of water damage and the cross bracing was no longer doing its job.”

Engineers determined that reinforcing the tower, as originally planned, would not be insufficient.

“It would have been dangerous, actually, to push this thing back into place and use new structural members to hold it,” Childs said.

Instead, the bell tower would have to be rebuilt, and the church’s steeple would have to be constructed on the ground before being lifted into place by a crane.

“There was no room for error,” Childs said. “We had tolerances of an eighth to a quarter of an inch to attach the steeple so the measurements had to be exact and the crane lift had to go right. It did. But a lot of people travelling down Route 50 got a great view of a flying steeple.”

Church-to-school conversion

In Baltimore City, Plano-Coudon Construction uncovered similarly dramatic structural challenges when they began the transformation of the 1887 Crisp Memorial Church into a new, 29,000-square-foot learning annex for Maree G. Farring Elementary School.

“As we stripped the church down to its structure, we uncovered an abundance of issues,” said Justin Vega, Project Manager with Plano-Coudon Construction. “The most substantial issue was generational termite damage that had worked its way into the heavy timber trusses. Termites had eaten away at significant cross sections of the structure to the point where three of the four bearing points required emergency implementation of scaffolding for life safety.”

A LiDAR scan provided a detailed model of the existing building and its issues. A multi-iteration redesign effort with input from subcontractors about constructability produced a new project design, but left crews pushing to meet the school’s critical need to have space completed when the school year began.

“We worked second shifts seven days a week for three to four months,” Vega said. “But we created this environment where kids are now learning and eating and playing basketball. It’s a beautiful, amazing building that is kind of the cornerstone of the community now.”

Maximizing value

Even projects on more contemporary church buildings come with their challenges.

In Marriottsville, Plano-Coudon is currently building a 27,000-square-foot addition to Chapelgate Presbyterian Church. The new space will include a 700-seat sanctuary, lobby, offices, meeting spaces, classrooms, and bride and groom suites. Crews will also renovate the existing church to upgrade systems and create a new nursery.

Constructing the addition while the church and its PreK-12 school remain fully operational has required careful planning and coordination to minimize disruptions to students, staff, parishioners and daily activities, said John Jozwiak, Project Manager.

Throughout the project, the Plano-Coudon team has worked closely with Chapelgate Presbyterian Church and the architect, Alexander Design Studio, to maximize the value of every construction dollar while preserving the church’s vision for the new addition.

“Through collaborative preconstruction and thoughtful value engineering, we identified opportunities to optimize the roof structure, exterior masonry system, and mechanical and electrical systems without compromising quality, functionality, or the overall vision for the project,” Jozwiak said.

Those value engineering needs are common on faith-based projects and require extra care among project teams, said Tyler Tate, President of Lewis Contractors.

And increasingly, contractors are being asked to exercise those skills. Lewis is currently working on several other faith-based projects — a choir and organ area renovation at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Owings Mills, a façade restoration at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Baltimore, and a major expansion of the parish hall and educational spaces at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Highland in Howard County.

“You know that every dollar you’re spending has been hard earned and thoughtfully given by the parish,” Tate said. “Even for a project that is on budget, there is still an obligation to be a good steward of that money and find savings opportunities where you can. As a contractor, you have to come to the table with patience and seriousness about that need.”

Featured in this article: Lewis Contractors, Plano-Coudon Construction, Worcester Eisenbrandt

Rethinking Employee Wellness

When Diversified Safety Services Field Operations Manager Jay Stephan got something in his eye while visiting a construction site in Frederick, he expected a stop at the onsite medical unit for an eye wash.

He didn’t expect to be offered an EKG.

“When they finished taking care of my eye, they said, ‘Hey, would you like to do a quick EKG?’” Stephan said.

The unexpected offer reflects a growing trend on large construction projects. Onsite medical providers are expanding beyond treating workplace injuries to offer routine health screenings, preventative care and other services that make healthcare more accessible for workers. Some construction companies are also adopting additional wellness programs and advocates insist a few commonsense practices help initiatives succeed.

#1 Bring healthcare to employees

Baltimore Fabrication started an onsite medical practice when it built its new fabrication facility in York. The company contracted Target Care to provide medical services onsite and fit out a medical office in the building where a nurse practitioner can complete physicals, administer vaccines, do blood tests and other routine procedures, and monitor work-related hazards, such as changes in eyesight or hearing.

“If you talk to somebody in the trades — whether it’s steel or plumbing or whatever — and ask when is the last time you saw a doctor, they’re going to stare right through you,” said Scott Foreman, Executive Vice President of Baltimore Fabrication. “Hourly wage workers on job sites or in shops just don’t have time and they may go 20 years without seeing a doctor.”

Within two months, roughly 50 percent of Baltimore Fabrication’s staff signed up for the free medical service.

 After the York facility opened, Baltimore Fabrication also launched an effort to provide workers with healthier food options.

“Often in manufacturing, you’re located in food deserts,” Foreman said. “You’re in industrial areas where the only thing close by is fast food at a gas station.”

So, Baltimore Fabrication contracted with a vending machine company to supply sandwiches, wraps and salads.

“At first, we ran through the candy and junk food and sodas quick and the salads and wraps were left over,” he said.

But healthy habits can be contagious. As more workers sampled the healthier options, food choices shifted.

“Now, the first things that go are the salads and wraps and the healthier options,” he said.

#2  Make wellness messages manageable

A longtime proponent of wellness initiatives, DAVIS Construction recently expanded its efforts by launching a wellness hub that encourages participation through challenges, educational resources and incentives.

“For the hydration challenge, we gave Owalas as the incentive,” said Sherill Kirksey, Benefits Manager.

Other challenges focused on small, manageable changes. A “Taste the Rainbow” campaign encouraged employees to share photos of colorful fruits and vegetables, while a “Healthy Heart” challenge offered daily tips to make heart health less intimidating.

“That included take a 15-minute walk, snack on nuts or seeds or oatmeal, have fish or tofu for supper, make sure you’re hydrating, try to eat five different fruits or vegetables today, and start your day with gratitude,” said Jenny Welch, Benefits Specialist.

#3  Think beyond physical health

“Mental health is a big issue in this industry,” Stephan said. “Suicide rates among construction workers steadily amount to four times the national average. We need more mental health awareness, more education, especially among supervisors. They are the first point of contact for workers in distress, whether they realize that or not.”

One emerging trend is “mental health first aid” training, Stephan said. “I wish every company would invest the time to put their supervisors through this training.”

Courses can be completed in a day or less and conducted online.

“This doesn’t make you a therapist by any means,” he said. “But it will help you recognize when a worker is struggling with anxiety, depression, substance abuse or a personal crisis, and it will teach you how to talk to that person.”

At DAVIS Construction, Baltimore Fabrication and other companies, wellness initiatives have expanded to include financial wellness.

Baltimore Fabrication brought in financial advisors from Merrill Lynch for an hour and a half financial workshop.

“It wasn’t a talk about stocks and bonds because that’s not relevant to most people,” Foreman said. “It was about understanding your monthly expenses, how to create a budget and how to start saving. Afterwards, they offered one-on-one sessions and almost 40 people signed up.”

#4  Maximize your existing benefits

Health insurance policies, employee assistance programs, insurance broker services and initiatives by industry associations and nonprofits provide an array of wellness programs. Many people, however, aren’t fully aware of them.

“I have over 26 years of experience in benefits so I always make it my business with any service we are paying for that we access it, we use it and we promote it,” Kirksey said. “One of the great benefits is that Headspace is now free for our Cigna participants so they can receive additional mental health support. We also leverage our broker NFP [National Financial Partners/Aon] to provide us with a list of wellness events that they offer for free.”

Associated Builders and Contractors “has done a wonderful job at creating a well thought out initiative for body, heart, mind and soul,” Stephan said. “The website has a lot of valuable information that companies can incorporate into their own wellness programs.”

Featured in this article: Baltimore Fabrication, DAVIS Construction, Diversified Safety Services

From boardrooms to playgrounds

When Sam Muffoletto, Chief Estimator for Cole Roofing Company, applied to become a GIVE Fellow, he was excited about the prospect of an eight-month fellowship that would provide professional development, teach him about civic leadership and push him outside his comfort zone.

He just didn’t expect some of those lessons to happen on a playground.

Last month, Muffoletto gathered with other fellow participants at Mary Pat Clarke Playground on Lake Montebello for a community event that included musical entertainment, a story time, hula hooping with Baltimore Hoop Love, and science fun with the Science Guys of Baltimore.

It was an opportunity to see firsthand how nonprofit organizations strengthen communities and how professionals from the private sector can use their skills to support that work.

The eight-month fellowship, organized by Business Volunteers of Maryland and open to all industries and nonprofits, is designed to hone participants’ professional skills while also teaching them about Baltimore history, community challenges and the nonprofit sector.

Small teams of fellows are paired with local nonprofits and tasked with developing a GIVE Advisory Project (GAP) that could help those nonprofits further their missions.

At the playground, Muffoletto and his teammates learned more about how their designated nonprofit, the Baltimore Family Alliance, works to help families remain in the city and thrive.

“I have already learned a lot about the depth and complexity of Baltimore’s nonprofit ecosystem and the talented leaders that are doing important work,” he said. “But it takes a lot of capacity, sustainable funding and partners to do that work.”

At the end of the fellowship, each team will present their GAP in a Turtle Tank competition.

“There’s also a fundraising aspect to the project and all the money we raise will go to the nonprofits,” he said.

Muffoletto said he will also benefit from the experience. “It’s a great opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I’m building leadership skills, networking skills, team-building and problem-solving skills. I’m connecting with professionals from different organizations across the city. And I get the opportunity to give back.”

Photos courtesy of Cole Roofing.

Chesapeake Welcome Center

Harford County Community College designed its expansive, new Chesapeake Welcome Center to do much more than process student inquiries about classes and campus life.

In addition to an information hub and administrative offices, the new 78,000-square-foot facility contains a 10,000-square-foot conference center, a 429-seat theater, a 2,000-square-foot art gallery, dining spaces and a commercial kitchen to serve the entire college.

Creating that space required the project team led by Oak Contracting to complete sweeping renovations to the existing 1968 center and add 46,000 square feet onto the building.

The plans included gutting the original, two-story theater, “cutting it in half horizontally and turning the top floor into a brand new commercial kitchen and the bottom floor into a new mechanical room,” said Matt Lurz, Assistant Project Manager at Oak. “We had to tie in new slabs to old slabs, which is challenging. We had to integrate a lot of new steel to support this ultra modern commercial kitchen. We had to meet its requirements for mechanical and life safety systems, plumbing, heavy power and the grease exhaust.”

Elsewhere onsite, crews were tackling very different requirements.

The new theater included state-of-the-art lighting and audio-visual systems, a catwalk, orchestra pit, and rich wood paneling. The two-story main lobby featured a large, curved reception desk, undulating countertop, feature lighting and a wood-sided, grand staircase.

The building’s exterior challenged crews to execute a complex design.

“We had a mix of three different types of metal panels — a smooth metal panel, a tapered panel, a ribbed panel,” Lurz said. “They were in varying profiles and various colors. All of that was combined with brick on the new building, brick on the old building and stone on the old building. In the front of the building where the conference center is, the tapered metal panels had to cover a radius-curved wall. They really upped the ante on the exterior design, but it paid off. The building looks phenomenal.”

Meticulous sequencing of trades, Lurz added, proved critical to efficiently completing the work in all areas of the center and to preventing any service disruption to two critical facilities onsite – the college’s main kitchen and its main telecom room.

Photos courtesy of Oak Contracting.

Featured in this article: Alliance Exterior Construction, Baltimore Fabrication, Burdette Koehler Murphy & Associates,EwingCole, Fallston Supply, Harford Community College, Leonard A. Kraus Co., Inc.,Live Green Landscape Associates, Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, Oak Contracting, Site Resources, Inc.,Temp Air Co.

Rail project uncovers a hidden piece of Baltimore’s past

The project team for the $38 million redevelopment of the B&O Railroad Museum (recently rebranded as the National Museum of Railroad History and Innovation) expected challenges when they began the museum’s new CSX Bicentennial Plaza. But they didn’t expect to have construction and designs altered by one of Baltimore’s buried waterways.

“We knew that one of the big challenges in the project would be excavating the dirt to create the plaza,” said Matthew Herbert, Principal with Design Collective. “We knew there was about 20 feet of historic fill — 160-year-old historic fill — on the south side of the property because they had to flatten the area when they built the train yard.”

Then excavation unexpectedly unearthed a piece of Baltimore’s infrastructure.

“It’s part of Baltimore’s proud history of burying rivers and creeks,” Herbert said.

Crews found a brick tunnel encasing a river.

“Since it was built more than a hundred years ago, we were pretty sure the structure had developed a few leaks,” he said. “The leaking water, of course, had found its way to the lowest point which happened to be the B&O basement.”

Team members tracked the leak to the furthest room in the basement — an old stone-and-brick barrel vault that had previously been used as a fallout shelter and was slated to become part of the B&O’s new archives.

“We dug down and found this stone cap. It looked like Roman architecture in South Baltimore,” Herbert said. “When we took the cap off, there were stone bricks beneath forming a channel and there was water actively flowing through it. It was an 1850s foundation drain.”

After consulting with a geotechnical engineer,  the team identified the likely source and path of the buried river. The project team then revised work plans to complete extensive dewatering of the site, modernize systems to funnel water away from the museum and install added drainage systems in the property’s retaining walls.

Images courtesy of Design Collective.

Great transformations

At first glance, existing conditions at the site of a planned $86 million renovation were “a little overwhelming,” said Gary Schucker, Project Manager at Hirsch Electric.

Hirsch and other members of the project team were beginning a massive, adaptive reuse project that would transform Ellicott Mill, a 110-year-old flour mill, into an eight-story, luxury building with 190 apartments.

“When you walked in, you saw all these old conveyor belts, motors and industrial equipment that had to be demolished and removed,” Schucker said. “The concrete in a 110-year-old building is very hard. There are a lot more columns than you see in newer buildings. And the floors and walls are really thick so, obviously, there would have to be a ton of core drilling by all trades.”

However, in land-constrained areas like Central Maryland, ambitious adaptive reuse projects are often the way to make the best use of available sites. That presents construction teams with the challenge of executing one-of-a-kind developments.

Old fashioned collaboration

To transform the 150,000-square-foot Ellicott Mill, contractors did not work from a BIM model. “We worked to align everything in the field. This job depended on old-fashioned collaboration between all the trades,” Schucker said.

Crews would have to execute 67 different apartment designs and craft high-end common areas, including a high-ceiling lobby with a grand stair, an expansive gym, rooftop infinity pool, and indoor and outdoor dining space overlooking the Patapsco River.

They would also have to contend with the mill’s challenging location on a 100-year flood plain.

The first level is in a flood zone so both the project team and county officials had to determine how to design and build a safe facility.

“We ended up with a unique plan,” Schucker said. “Every receptacle on the first floor, all the raceways had to be waterproof. No equipment — wall heaters, major motors or pumps — could be located there. And we had to redesign the garage so all the fans and disconnect switches were above the flood plain.”

Office-to-penthouse conversion

In Locust Point, an adaptive reuse project in a much newer building presented UrbanBuilt with a different set of challenges. The top floor of Anthem House, a nine-story multifamily building, was set to be transformed from the former head office of War Horse Cities into five luxury penthouse apartments.

The existing conditions were extraordinary — expansive glass walls, custom millwork and cabinetry, barn wood doors, high end finishes, and exquisite lighting.

“Of course, we were salvaging a lot of materials because these are things you just don’t throw away,” said Shannon Martin, Project Manager/Business Development at UrbanBuilt. “But that made things tricky for the demo crew. They had to remove it, but not destroy it, take it down from the ninth floor, carefully wrap it and store it.”

The task of moving materials to and from the ninth floor became especially difficult mid-project when extreme temperature shifts caused a sprinkler line to burst and destroy the control panel for the freight elevator.

Crews had to switch to taking the residential elevator to the eighth floor, walking the length of the building, then climbing fire stairs to the ninth floor.

“What had been a one-minute trip became a 15-minute trip,” said Michael Andrew, Project Manager at UrbanBuilt.

Some things were too big to fit into the residential elevator (such as lengths of stone countertop) or too heavy to carry up the fire stairs. Crews also had to be especially meticulous about moving construction materials and garbage through an occupied residential building.

Working around residents added another layer of complexity. Routing services to the new apartments required crews to access five or six occupied residences on the eighth floor and cut through their ceilings, Martin said.

Residents had to move out for a week while “we stuck to a very, very, very tight schedule,” she said. “We overcommunicated because we knew this wasn’t pleasant for anyone. We repainted their apartments, cleaned everything and left them gifts — gift cards, flowers, Edible Arrangements, and handwritten thank you notes.”

New life for old buildings

Not every adaptive reuse project includes such intense challenges.

In downtown Baltimore, Hirsch Electric has worked on the transformation of several old office buildings into multifamily properties, including The Appraiser’s Building and 26 S. Calvert Street/117 Water Street.

Such projects typically “don’t have BIM coordination,” Schucker said. “It’s just a full gut, design-build and there has to be a lot of coordination between the owners and the trades.”

But those efforts deliver stunning results, including two-story loft apartments, vintage staircases, modern designs, high-end finishes, gyms, basketball courts and rooftop pools.

At a former fire station in Clifton Park, UrbanBuilt recently completed a transformation to create new office and program space for the nonprofit, Civic Works.

The construction was reasonably straightforward, but the project required designers and builders to preserve historic aspects — such as the firemen’s pole, circular staircase, tin ceiling and original wooden lockers — while also creating a modern workspace.

“It was a cool project,” Andrew said. “In Baltimore City, there are a lot of older buildings that can go by the wayside. This is an old fire house with a lot of history. It was even the set for ‘Ladder 49.’ And this nonprofit is appreciating that history and also utilizing the space to be an asset to the neighborhood.”

Featured in this article: Hirsch Electric, UrbanBuilt

From Pre-K to the Pros

With more than 300,000 open construction jobs across America currently and projections that construction trades could face an 8 million worker deficit within a decade, contractors are expanding efforts to educate young people about good construction career options. Some of those efforts have gotten more elaborate and inventive.

Tailgating with hardhats

As part of its Crafting Futures initiative, Clark Construction and multiple industry partners hosted a skilled trades expo for middle and high school kids at Northwest Stadium in partnership with the Washington Commanders.

“We had part of the parking lot so we brought in all sorts of heavy machinery that the kids could get up in. And we had an entire plaza filled with more than 30 trade partner booths,” said Kris Manning, COO of Infrastructure at Clark Construction.

Clark and trade partners created an array of hands-on opportunities in those booths.

“Clark brought in a virtual welder where you put on goggles and use a wand to simulate welding,” Manning said. “There were places where kids could mix mortar, put pipes together or build concrete formwork. An iron worker brought a steel beam that was set up five feet above the ground so kids got into harnesses, tied off and walked the beam.”

The event also provided about 800 young people, parents and educators with key information about construction careers.

“There’s a pretty common misconception that construction is only a Plan B for people who can’t get into college. We show people that it’s a legitimate Plan A,” Manning said.

At sports venues, Montgomery Community College and other locations, Clark highlights how the trades offer competitive salaries, opportunities for career advancement and the satisfaction of building facilities that benefit communities. Through its partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment and its teams, Clark is able to reach even broader audiences.

Construction camp

Every summer, Rosendin hosts a five-day Camp Build for middle school students. After learning about jobsite safety, students dig into a series of projects: creating decorative concrete blocks, assembling a lamp, soldering copper conduit into a 3D cactus, building and painting dog houses, and learning to drive a forklift.  

Such hands-on experiences at Camp Build and numerous school visits teach kids about career opportunities they may have known nothing about previously, said Violet Carter, Rosendin’s Career and Workforce Development Coordinator.

Carter, a 30-year electrician, reached out to every school in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC when she started her workforce development job. Now, she does 20 to 26 events each month with people ranging from Pre-K to young adult. She is regularly delighted by the number and variety of students who get enthused about construction work.

“When teachers assume a student won’t pay attention or doesn’t listen, I’ve found those are often the very students who become my best students,” Carter said. “Everybody has a talent. You just have to find it.”

More outreach needed

Such outreach efforts deliver results. Applicants for Clark’s carpentry apprenticeship program rose from 25 in 2024 to 350 this year. Carter — who also supports several organizations for women in construction — has seen the number of young women entering electrical training programs climb.

“I feel if more contractors did outreach to young people, we would have more people entering the construction field,” she said.

The BC&E Foundation conducts Builder In Training (BIT) workshops multiple times a year. Most recently,  member companies Ariosa & Co. LLC, Bunting Door & Hardware Co., Inc./LokTek and the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company provided a hands-on introduction to careers in construction and the trades to 120 Eighth graders in Howard County.

Manning has a simple recommendation for contractors considering an outreach initiative.

“If you’re a smaller company, find a school in your community and partner with them,” he said. “Educators will know which kids are not going to college. If you can connect with just a few kids and create a great experience for the first student or two, you will have instant cheerleaders who can go back to that school in two years, talk about how they are making good money and enjoying their jobs. That will inspire more kids to look at the construction trades as a viable career choice.”

Companies featured in this article: Ariosa & Co. LLC, Bunting Door & Hardware Co., Inc./LokTek,Clark Construction, Rosendin and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

Chick Webb Memorial Recreation Center

Creating a center to honor a jazz legend and serve the neighborhood where he grew up was bound to challenge a project team to deliver uncommon and artful results.

The newly expanded and renovated Chick Webb Memorial Recreation Center combines bold, colorful design with elements of history and state-of-the-art recreation facilities.

The East Baltimore facility was originally built in the 1940s by members of the African American community to provide children with a safe place to swim and play.

The new two-story addition, which nearly doubles the center’s size to 33,000 square feet, echoes the historic limestone structure while the patterned glazing creates a lively tribute to Webb’s colorful drum sets. A music staff and notes extend across the sidewalk and music-themed playground. Inside, exhibits document Webb’s life from his childhood in Baltimore to his role as leader of one of America’s most prominent swing bands.

The project, which included extensive renovations of the existing structure, created an array of recreation amenities — a modernized pool, large fitness room, indoor walking track, teen lounge, maker space, catering kitchen, the Founder’s Recording Studio, and an indoor regulation court for basketball, volleyball and pickleball.

Delivering all of those elements required not just expertise, but an ability to quickly contend with challenging conditions.

The 80-year-old building presented a typical litany of issues — asbestos, lead paint, mystery chases and other undocumented details. The pool, which was constructed in 1949 and closed in 2022 after developing severe cracks, included a vintage and discontinued gutter system to recirculate water. Fixing it required the team to make custom, stainless steel parts.

Concrete-encased beams changed a lot of the plans for ceiling elevations and ductwork.

“We had to stretch out ductwork,” said Everett Chambers, Project Manager at CAM Construction. “Instead of using a 12 by 12 piece of ductwork, we made the ducts more linear and used ducts that were 26 wide by six or eight inches in depth.”

The project team knew ahead of time that the site contained soil that wouldn’t compact sufficiently. Crews would have to replace soil to support the new sidewalk and playground and install 30-foot piles to support the addition.

“But then we ran into issues because we found a lot of substructures — abandoned utilities, footers, other things — that never showed up in the soil boring reports,” Chambers said.

Those discoveries forced the team to resequence its boring plan “about 15,000 times,” he said.

Installing the center’s new sprinkler system, however, proved to be the most challenging aspect of the project.

When workers tested the site’s water line, “the flow was not even a sixteenth of what the design pressure for the sprinkler system needed to be,” Chambers said. “We basically had the flow of a garden hose.”

The source of the problem turned out to be a broken main running down Monument Street which Baltimore City Department of Public Works eventually replaced.

The project team, Chambers said, ensured the renovated center could open on schedule by coordinating with DPW and installing the sprinkler system as the water line was rebuilt.

Featured in this article: CAM Construction, Coastal Exteriors, GWWO Architects, MK Consulting Engineers, Temp Air Company

Photos courtesy of CAM Construction.

Show time!

Crews building the $143 million Performing Arts Center and Artists Flats development in Columbia have embraced an uncommon mantra: The show must go on.

The development — which will create three new theaters, a dance studio, classrooms, art gallery and 174 mixed-income residences — is happening on the site of Toby’s Dinner Theatre. Consequently, the project team had to devise ways to enable Toby’s to continue operations even as early construction fully abutted two sides of the existing building.

“The smartest thing our team did was design the building as a whole then figure out how to separate it for two phases of construction,” said Matt Herbert, Principal at Design Collective.

Design Collective and the construction team led by The Whiting Turner Contracting Company collaborated with the developer, the county, the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts and others to create a phased construction plan that would provide the safety, access, parking and sound control that Toby’s would need for its productions.

Those measures will enable the shows – including Mean Girls and White Christmas – to go on even when construction happens directly on top of Toby’s new theater space during phase 2.

“What impressed me the most is the integration of good acoustical design in the spatial layouts that inherently will provide acoustic buffers while under construction, but also allow for better acoustic performance when the entire project is complete,” Herbert said.

The use of masonry walls will increase mass and the inclusion of corridors will heighten sound isolation both during construction and afterwards. Those measures, he added, will enable the broad array of future activities at the center – from theater productions to dance recitals, art classes, children’s events, everyday residential living and more – to occur without interfering with each other.

The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2028.

School combines modern style with academic tradition

Creating a high tech, business savvy facility on the grounds of a college founded in 1782 presents a distinct design challenge.

In designing the new Warehime School of Business at Washington College, GWWO Architects faced an additional lofty requirement: The building would be located at the intersection of the campus’ academic, athletic and residential areas, and it would be key to framing a new academic quad.

GWWO met those challenges with a design that blends modern and historic elements. While part of the building’s exterior is clad in Washington College’s standard campus brick, a large expanse of the façade is multi-story glazing.

Inside the glass, a large, linear “forum” creates a variety of gathering spaces where students, faculty, alumni and visitors can interact and engage in cross-disciplinary exchanges. A core principle of the new school is to create an interdisciplinary program that combines liberal arts education with global studies to equip students to adapt to the constantly changing business world.

At the project’s groundbreaking ceremony in April, Washington College Interim President Bryan Matthews described the new school as a “game-changer” and the building as both “timely and timeless.”

Renderings courtesy of GWWO Architects.