This award-winning project is among the most challenging and rewarding in Harper & Sons’ history! The original building began life as a lumber yard in the World War II era, and had served as a warehouse later, before becoming the heart of the Community center in the last decade. The Center very dark inside, with dilapidated offices, but the small, cramped kitchen served hundreds of meals. The staff provided services to St Michaels and the villages beyond, and was in tremendous need of updates and more space. In addition, the building was sited on a small lot, within walking distance of many of those it serves, and it was vital to retain the location.
Harper & Sons, Inc worked with McInfurff Architects to bring Mark McInturff’s vision to life, and renovated nearly every part of the site and structure. The site was updated with new utilities, cross-walks, grease-interceptors for the kitchen, outdoor gathering pavilion, fencing, and parking lot improvements. The building was completely renovated to include new slabs, partitions, doors, windows, roofing, siding, and solar panels. The interior utilizes a Nanawall glass partition, and several full-glass overhead doors to create classrooms and break-out spaces for quiet programs, but allows for wide-open flow for larger community events.
The mechanical system was completely replaced, as well as electrical, plumbing, and fire sprinklers. Limited above ceiling space required extensive coordination of MEP systems, and a peak above ceiling reveals compact piping and equipment arrangements similar to a sports car. A new, fully-equipped commercial kitchen and walk-in cooler was constructed. The renowned, local landscape architect Jan Kirsh designed the iron-and-ipe bordered, sustainable street-scape entry garden.
Among the most challenging aspects of the project were the structural revisions and upgrades. The original posts and beams were salvaged, planned down, and refinished. A new clearstory roof was cut through the center of the building to flood the building with natural light. A second story was added in part of the building for staff offices. The building foundation was reinforced and new column footings were added. Structural steel was added through out the building to bring the old post-and-beam structure into code-compliance, while remaining exposed to add character. The Douglas fir framing was added for the second floor, with exposed hardware.
The result is a stunning transformation of a modern Community Center with welcoming aesthetics and award-winning architecture. The design was awarded Gold for Excellence in Design at both the Potomac Valley and Chesapeake Bay Chapters of The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Quick Notes
- Location: St Michaels, MD
- SF: 5,500
- Design:
McInturff Architects - Awards: 3 Gold – AIA Excellence in Design
