PROJECT  Park School Science and Engineering Wing

LOCATION Baltmore, Maryland, US​

ARCHITECT Hord Coplan Macht

CLIENT The Park School

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Scott M Walters, AIA; Neil Murry, AIA; Margaret Gaggioli-Prichard, AIA; Peter Winebrenner AIA; Lee Coplan, FAIA; Leah Wettstein, Laura Lumadue, Jessica Lewandowski

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Hord Coplan Macht
CONTRACTOR Southway Builders

ENGINEERS
Morabito Consultants
Daft McCune Walker, Inc.
Burdette, Koehler, Murphy & Associates, Inc.
Burdette, Koehler, Murphy & Associates, Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHER Judy Davis

CONSULTANTS (if applicable)
Geotechnical Engineer - D.W. Kozera
Energy Modeling - FSi Engineers
Owner Management - Cap Ex Advisory

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  8/14/2023

PROJECT SUMMARY
The new 12,500 sf, two-story expansion of state-of-the-art learning, meeting, collaborating, and making space. The addition is designed to support collaboration and integration among the scientific disciplines that will allow, encourage, and inspire “cross-pollination” among the scientific disciplines within the new building. The additional square footage will allow for long-term and large-scale science and engineering projects and includes dedicated engineering and robotics space. The building will be a hub for on-campus field study, long-term research projects, and longitudinal studies conducted in Park’s ISAMR (International Student-led Arctic Monitoring and Research) program. It creates access to new outdoor learning spaces, the pond, the stream, and the woods, enhancing the connection to ongoing campus field study and long-term research projects.

High visibility of long-term science and engineering projects will provide inspiration across science disciplines, will create collaborative opportunities between and among students and faculty, and will engage learners from across all three divisions. The building is designed to achieve net zero-energy usage. With intensive energy modeling during design over 11 specific categories, the design team determined the lowest potential EUI – 22.9 with the quickest simple payback. The principles that support the building’s sustainable operations are also linked to the science and engineering programming in the building itself, providing opportunities for research, observation, and curricular connections in the future.

The new Science and Engineering Wing is a visual backdrop to Park’s iconic pond. The site location, a previously developed space, was chosen to minimize impact and preserve our campus greenspace. Further, the opportunity to connect our buildings (the Athletic Center, Science and Engineering Wing, and the main building) will enhance accessibility in and around our learning spaces.

In crafting the exterior design for Park, our approach was deeply rooted in the site’s distinctive context. The dynamic silhouette of the “butterfly” roof serves a dual purpose, allowing an influx of natural light into the second-floor laboratories and efficiently channeling rainfall to a thoughtfully integrated bioretention garden. The generous glazing, combined with a carefully curated natural material palette, enhances the aesthetic appeal and establishes a harmonious connection with the surroundings. The massing strategy contributes to creating a novel architectural identity for the wing and seamlessly integrates the structure within its existing context. This synthesis of form and function results in a design that is both innovative and responsive to the unique characteristics of The Park School.

JURY COMMENTS (if applicable)

IMAGES – CAPTIONS & CREDITS

Image 1  East Façade at Dusk, Judy Davis Photography
Image 2  Outdoor Classroom, Judy Davis Photography
Image 3  East Façade, across the Pond, Judy Davis Photography
Image 4  Science Corridor, Judy Davis Photography
Image 5  Student Hub, Judy Davis Photography
Image 6  North Façade at Dusk, Judy Davis Photography
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Image 8 

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF