GWWO Architects

Last Monday, we were reminded of the bravery and courageous acts of Harriet Tubman as she was officially made a one-star brigadier general in the Maryland National Guard in honor of her military service to the U.S. and Maryland. During a ceremony hosted at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland, members of Tubman’s family, generals, and the Governor of Maryland gathered to participate in the posthumous commissioning ceremony. “With each act of courage, Harriet Tubman helped bring us together as a nation and a people. She fought for a kind of unity that can only be earned through danger, risk, and sacrifice. And it is a unity we still benefit from to this day,” said Governor Wes Moore. We were truly honored to play a role in sharing Tubman’s legacy through the design of the visitor center that immerses visitors in Tubman’s story, from her early life through her efforts associated with the Underground Railroad and military service. Read more: https://bit.ly/3AK3emM Photo credit: Robert Creamer (1), Tom Holdsworth (2) & Mike Morgan (3)

We are thrilled to announce the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center received the 2024 American Architecture Award from the The Chicago Athenaeum Museum for Architecture and Design. This award is the nation’s highest and most prestigious distinguished building awards program that honors new and cutting-edge design in the United States.  The careful placement and sensitive design of this new visitor center at 14,115 feet, the highest facility of its type in the world, places the focus on the stunning landscape, allowing boundless sky and views to take center stage. Embedded into the mountainside, the low-rise structure is seemingly carved from the southeast side of the peak. Its form and materials, with stone inspired by Pikes Peak granite, evoke the crags and rock formations found above the trees. From below, the building appears as a building of the mountain rather than one on the mountain, yet as visitors arrive at the summit it emerges as a clear destination. Congratulations to the City of Colorado Springs, RTA Architects (Architect of Record) and all of our partners and collaborators, including BranchPattern, DHM Design, G&A, and GE Johnson for this accomplishment! Photo credit: Windstar Studios Inc

Last month, our Baltimore team members laced up their running shoes and participated in the 28th Annual Port to Fort 6K race that started in GWWO’s very own office parking lot and traveled through historic Fort McHenry. The race was hosted by and supported the Believe In Tomorrow Children's Foundation, which provides hospital and housing services to critically ill children and their families. We are grateful to be able to take part in such a meaningful event supporting an important Maryland organization and members of our community! #PorttoFort6K #GWWOrks #baltimore #run

The Middle Branch Fitness & Wellness Center received the Social Equity Award during AIA Baltimore's recent Excellence in Design Awards! Above all other submissions, the jury felt that the new center is the physical manifestation of a client and design team working alongside the community to create a project that is impactful for the immediate and surrounding neighborhoods. The jury applauded the design’s thoughtful siting and illumination to create a “welcoming and safe space that serves as a beacon for its community in South Baltimore." As a result of the deep involvement and input of a multitude of stakeholders, the center—located within a waterfront park, which was formerly home to a landfill and incinerator—has become a thriving neighborhood third space, designed to directly fulfill the expressed needs of the community. Congratulations to Baltimore City Recreation & Parks and the entire design team! Learn more: https://bit.ly/3BY1J4u

We're honored to have received three AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Awards 🏆, including Public Building of the Year, our fourth design to receive this award within the last five years! The Middle Branch Fitness & Wellness Center, a regional recreation center in Baltimore City’s Cherry Hill neighborhood, was named the Public Building of the Year and a Merit Award winner. Located at the terminus of a 15-mile trail that connects the city’s largest woodland park with the shoreline of the Patapsco River, the new recreation center was praised by the jury for its design that “fosters connections with the surrounding communities by transforming an underutilized industrial space into a public amenity.” The conceptual design for the Vicksburg Civil War Interpretive Center—a collaboration with Dale Partners Architects which serves to expand upon, more holistically tell, and commemorate the stories surrounding the Civil War and Reconstruction era in Mississippi and throughout the nation—was recognized with a Jury Citation in the unbuilt category. Congratulations to Baltimore City Recreation & Parks and the design teams! Read more: https://bit.ly/47Qu3Sm

Prominently located in Historic Downtown Manassas, the Manassas Museum showcases the rich history of the city and the northern Virginia region. Originally designed by Carlton Abbott, the building had a “fort-like form” that paid homage to the city’s agricultural and military past. By embracing the existing structure and historic context while reorienting the building towards the city center and opening it to the public, the renovation and addition transformed the museum—which began as a collection of artifacts donated by local residents—into a true community institution, and helped to increase attendance by 85% and tour requests eightfold since the project began. Read more about the City of Manassas museum’s journey of growth and new role as a welcoming third space: https://bit.ly/3TKAoZI

Join Senior Associate Patrick Fava this Wednesday at Love Letters Live, the kickoff to off Doors Open Baltimore. Hosted by AIA Baltimore and the Baltimore Architecture Foundation (BAF), Patrick will recount the G. Fava Fruit Company Building’s tale of preservation and renewal. Register here: https://bit.ly/3Y7v45q

Over 3,400 students began their school year in new GWWO-designed spaces at Severn Run High School, Two Rivers Elementary School, T.C. Martin Elementary School, and the Friends School of Baltimore. From large-scale renovations to entirely new facilities, 500,000 SF of space was designed to foster student collaboration, offer the utmost flexibility, and promote sustainability. We’re grateful to our clients Anne Arundel County Public Schools, CHARLES COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, and the Friends School of Baltimore for entrusting us to deliver engaging, collaborative, safe, and sustainable environments for your students. https://bit.ly/3zyIHkv

Spotted! Crofton High School is on the cover of American School & University! Sited within a wooded community recreational area, the school’s design embraces nature to provide students with an inspirational and flexible learning environment. Through an innovative use of materials, moments within the design bring the outdoors in, including an organic frit pattern reminiscent of leaves falling to the ground developed using computational design and screen-printed on the curtainwall. Congratulations to Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the entire design team! Read more: https://bit.ly/4dV5x4B

We're continuing to grow! Please join us in welcoming Adam Alford, Joey Morse, Josh Pontell, Julia Lindemon, and Luke Kowalyshyn, Assoc. AIA to the firm. Read more about the talents and interests of our newest staff members, including who has a photographic memory, who works with ceramics, and who you'll find on the local hiking trails. https://bit.ly/3MR30g5