Items Tagged ‘Maryland’
PNC Bank – Harbor East
Project Name:
PNC Bank – Harbor EastLocation:
Baltimore, Maryland, USACompletion Date:
April 2009Original Use(s):
warehouseNew Use(s):
bankProject Description:
History
Dating back to the turn of the last century, this building was built as a furniture warehouse.[1] The warehouse is located in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore which was marked by numerous warehouses from the same time period.[2]
(Re)Developer
PNC Financial Inc. was created in 1982 from the merger of Pittsburgh National Corporation and Provident National Corporation. Since 2000, PNC has been focused on being greener. From green banking to building LEED-certified new branches, the bank also focuses on construction with recycled materials and structures.[3]
The architectural firm that adapted the warehouse was Gensler. The Baltimore location has handled projects across the United States.
Outcome
The redevelopment of Harbor East started in 1983 when Baltimore city officials hired a planning team to envision the new Inner Harbor.[4] Gensler restored the warehouse while at the same time incorporated PNC hallmark traits. The 3,270-square-foot bank branch includes a retail banking area, offices, and a conference room. The height of the basement was lowered so as to allow the retail space to meet ground level. Numerous materials from the warehouse were reused in the renovation and will be coupled with the water- and energy-saving mechanical systems for the certification process to be awarded LEED Gold.[5]
[1]Architectural Record
[2]Wikipedia
[3]PNC
[4]Wikipedia
[5]Architectural Record
Images courtesy of Architectural Record.
Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Building
Project Name:
Harry and Jeannette Weinberg BuildingLocation:
Baltimore, Maryland, USACompletion Date:
2009Original Use(s):
breweryNew Use(s):
non-profit headquartersProject Description:
History
The American Brewery was built in 1887 and includes the Brewhouse and Bottle Building. The brewery shut down operations in 1973. The building then turned over to the City of Baltimore in 1977. It had since been left vacant and deteriorating until 2005.
(Re)Developer
The adaptive reuse was led by Humanim, a 35-year old Maryland-based social and human services provider that has delivered programs and services in East Baltimore for the last 20 years, that was looking for a new headquarters location. They teamed up with Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse. Funded was provided by National Trust Community Investment Corporation and the National Trust Loan Fund.[1]
Outcome
Despite the recession, the adaptive reuse project (16 months) has been a success and is a shining beacon of hope in East Baltimore.
Humanim sees the widespread blight in East Baltimore as an opportunity more than anything else. As Truitt put it, “Part of what we’ve done for 35-plus years is take risks to provide services where they’re lacking.” Looked at from that perspective, the East Baltimore location has multiple advantages. Humanim expects the building to house 250 employees, and they’ve committed to hiring from within the community. Furthermore, they’ll be providing services where they’re most needed—they hope to serve 1,300 people in the Brewery building’s first year. Right now they’re engaging in focus groups with community merchants to figure out exactly what local businesses need… so they can train people to provide it.[2]
The Brewhouse will house Humanim’s offices and the Bottle Building, a 60,000 square foot 1937 industrial building will be converted into a center for organizations working in community arts, community services and small business development. The redevelopment of the Brewhouse and Bottle Building is critical to the revitalization of the East Baltimore neighborhood of Broadway East. When completed, the buildings along with the already completed Cole Higgs Center will become an important hub of activity in the community—generating jobs and providing much-needed social services—while also sparking additional investment.[3]
[1]The National Trust for Historic Preservation
[2]Baltimore Grows
[3]Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse
Images courtesy of The Baltimore Sun.