Annie E. Casey Family Services
Baltimore
Cho Benn Holback + Associates

A former trolley station is the next stop for social services

© David Sundberg/Esto

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Renovation of an historic trolley substation and a two-story addition provide the new home for a nonprofit social services center based in a low-income east Baltimore community. The building houses school- and community-based components offering services to young parents. The 15,000-square-foot program includes a lobby atrium, classrooms, drop-in center for children, outdoor play area, kitchen, conference rooms, storage, and support spaces.

The project preserves and celebrates the character of the historic building, while keeping the new construction clean and simple. A two-story lobby atrium now occupies space between the new and old buildings, becoming the central organizing piece of the project. A full-height glass window wall and skylights separate the existing building from the new addition, bringing natural light into the interior and emphasizing the brick volume of the original trolley barn. A dynamic wood and steel bridge at the second level celebrates the crossing between new and old.

The architects located the larger-scaled programmatic spaces in the existing building and the smaller, more repetitive spaces in the new construction wing. The trolley station’s dramatic double-height space remains intact and serves functions including training sessions, community gatherings and parties. The design also recycles a playful wrought iron fence created by the former owner of the property to enclose the new outdoor children’s play area.

Location:
Baltimore

Gross square footage:
15,000 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$2.1 Million

Owner:
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
701 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

Architect:
Cho Benn Holback + Associates
100 N. Charles Street, 14th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
T 410-576-0440
F 410-332-8455
www.cbhassociates.com