The south tower renovation of Brown Memorial Church is underway, and Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects is excited to share some photos showcasing the progress.
There comes a point when modern necessities need to merge with history. Frank Dittenhafer II, FAIA, LEED AP at Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, explains the situation faced by Baltimore’s Brown Memorial Park Avenue church.
“They have a well-used, three-story building with, among other things, accessibility issues that had to be addressed, one of them being: no elevator,” he says.
Buildings with this type of heritage can’t be thought of as static museum pieces. They need to be functional in order to survive - and hopefully thrive, and with any three-story structure, eventually, real life comes calling.
“You have an aging population, large quantities of people moving to and from different areas of the church campus, and the transporting of things with the people,” he says. “It’s a very practical matter.
“As a result, we are repurposing that entire fellowship hall building through a Design-Build arrangement in partnership with A.R. Marani, General Contractors,” he says. “We actually have considerable experience inserting elevators in older, historic buildings. It takes some real care so that it’s done without compromising the historic integrity of significant historic components. Fortunately, we were able to help.”
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects took on the Architecture, Interior Design, & Overall Project Management for the new Bedford Elementary School, and the outcome is impactful.