Project Description
FROM THE AIA MARYLAND
The Institute’s mission in didactic research and community outreach of economy and ecology studies informed this site selection and building narrative. ‘Place’ and ‘program’ become a system of inputs and outputs of research for the studio and engaging environs for bioclimatic data collection, water conservation and filtration engaging the visiting public. This limited development site on the Chesapeake Bay nears public transportation, only a 10-minute walk to downtown Annapolis and educational institutions. The overall building design consists of a compact individual research and team collaborative ‘bar’ where indoor-outdoor thresholds are blurred with extending bays and terraces. Public and private realms are challenged with open collaborative clusters offering engaging dialogue allowing visual and accessible connection to fresh air, daylight, green roofs, edible and native plant gardens, rainwater capture and reuse. A separate event pavilion connects to the research studio visually and through a shared outdoor terrace.