Hord Coplan Macht was chosen by Weller Development to design two of the first three mixed-use residential buildings, E5B and E6, in Chapter 1B for the Port Covington neighborhood in Baltimore. The design of the buildings embraces the history and neighborhood character of Baltimore’s past while layering modern and innovative design features. Leveraging the creation of a world-class, connective waterfront through parks and greenspace, our design promotes a walkable, urban environment with a vibrant mix of uses.
Both buildings, E5B and E6, incorporate massing and building forms that contribute and strengthen the urban design goals of the Port Covington development and master plan – quality and style built upon gritty, industrial materials and distinctive architecture of surrounding assets including Sagamore Spirit Distillery and Rye Street Tavern. The pedestrian experience is enlivened by the thoughtful articulation of the lower levels of each building. Masonry detailing references the adjacent South Baltimore neighborhoods’ character, reinterpreted into a modern expression. While the two buildings complement each other, they exhibit distinct massing concepts.
Positioned on 1.5 acres, Building E6 is expressed as two eight story masonry volumes that are connected by a glass and steel bridge. The steel detailing, a reference to the site’s industrial past, reappears throughout the building in the form of canopies, balconies, bays and trellis. Overall, the building will consist of 200 market rate units, 54 affordable units, approximately 295,000 square feet, and will include approximately 15,850 square feet of retail space. The building boasts approximately 12,450 square feet of shared amenity space, which will be spread across multiple floors, and includes a rooftop outdoor terrace, fitness center, yoga room, lounge space, leasing center, bicycle storage room, mail room and package storage room.
Building E5B’s massing is a simple composition of three rectangular forms connected by a glass reveal. Two masonry volumes, featuring retail and townhouse units, engage the street and adjacent pocket park. A five-story glass and steel ‘box,’ a further reference to the site’s past, floats over these masonry forms completing the composition. The building, positioned on a little under an acre, will consist of a mix of market rate and extended stay units with approximately 5,750 square feet of retail space. A shared 8,450-square-foot amenity space will be spread across multiple floors and includes a fitness center, lounge space, bicycle storage room, mail room and package storage room in addition to an outdoor terrace featuring a raise pool, provided on the roof of the retail space.
