The headquarters for Baltimore’s Parks and People Foundation was developed within Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park. A parcel of land which was once the home of the park’s superintendent is now separated from the park by a boulevard. The superintendent’s house and stable were renovated, as was the landscape to create a connection with the landscape of Druid Hill Park, which was first designed by Howard Daniels in 1860, with later influences by John Latrobe and the Olmsted Brothers.

The site is located between Baltimore’s City Zoo and a recently completed mass transit stop. A central band of demonstration gardens leads visitors from the transit center through a storm water collection basin, porous parking lots and an edible native plant garden. A nursery for the city’s street trees is on the way to the headquarters’ new glass pavilion addition. The rigor of the proposed glass pavilion is the basis for the organization of the central band, which is meant to stand in contrast to the historical landscape. Photovoltaic lights, porous pavements, local materials, and indigenous plants are all planned to illustrate sustainable practices to the community. The project received the highest LEED certification and to forges a link with the park and community.

Recognition
Boston Society of Landscape Architects | Merit Award for General Design 2022

Collaborators
Ziger/Snead LLP Architects

Photography
Charles Mayer