“What the community needs”

Founded in 1865, Bowie State University is the oldest HBCU in Maryland and one of the ten oldest in the nation. In the mid 1960’s, the campus moved to a 300-acre wooded site sitting approximately halfway between Washington DC and Baltimore. Today the diverse campus has over 6,200 students where 45% of the students live on campus, including 95% of first year students. The campus is adjacent to a large preserve and a MARC train line with a station on the campus.

Recognizing that there are few amenities around the campus, the campus needed to be as self-sufficient as possible. To support the daily life of the campus community, the plan provided food, service, cultural, recreational and athletic amenities within the core. A business incubator on site provides connections to internships and employment. The compact campus was designed to feel like a village with its blend of living and learning connected by quads and courts which ties the community together. HCM has been a trusted advisor to Bowie State University since 2010, providing a master plan update in 2016.