The newest cohort of graduate students at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation recently headed to Annapolis as part of the semester-opening interdisciplinary tour. Despite heavy rain and rising waters, the group had a fulfilling trip visiting three different development projects along with the U.S. Naval Academy. The sites provided the opportunity to discuss topics ranging from designing and building within the city and Annapolis Historic District to zoning regulations and climate change.
The tour began at 706 Giddings Avenue in West Annapolis, where the group spoke with alumni Brian Grieb (B.S. Architecture ’99, M.ARCH ’00) and Alick Dearie (B.S. Architecture ’99, M.ARCH ’04) of GriD Architects about their renovation of an ordinary, underperforming brick office building from the 1980s into a modern rainscreen-clad office complex. The project incorporates a new third floor, additional permeable parking areas and a bio-swale to manage site stormwater and runoff.
At 110 Compromise Street, we met developer Mike Keneen who discussed building rehabilitation and financing methods. This project adapted and expanded the old Fawcett Marine Store into a mixed-use maritime, retail and restaurant building that engages the Ego Alley boardwalk. Mr. Keneen and his designers worked with the city to address community and historic preservation concerns as well as water infiltration and city dock adjacencies.
After a lunch at Susan Campbell Park along the water, new URSP graduate student Yohannes Bennehoff guided the group on a tour of the U.S. Naval Academy, including a visit to the Chapel and the Crypt of John Paul Jones, which lies beneath it.
The tour then moved on to the downtown docks and the Historic District Luxury Condominiums. Here, Roberta Laynor—the city’s chief historic preservation officer—along with several other members of the planning office talked about retaining Annapolis’ historic character amid development and, appropriate to the weather and high tides that day, the impacts of climate change on downtown Annapolis and coastal Maryland. Just down the street from the 110 Compromise project at the Historic District Luxury Condominiums, developer Jim O’Hare is converting the old Annapolis Recreation Center into ten, multi-storied luxury condominium units. The project reflects the historic character of the building while providing additional glazing and an off-street parking facility
You can view the complete tour itinerary here.