A vacant lot in downtown Baltimore City is transformed into a new 21st-century learning environment for the surrounding community by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Project Information
Location
Baltimore, MD
Client
JMT Architecture
Owner
The Archdiocese of Baltimore
Size
10k - 250k sq ft
Certification
LEED BD+C: Schools v4 Gold
Just two years ago, 200 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. was a long-vacant infill lot nestled in downtown Baltimore City. Today, it is the proud new site of the first Catholic elementary school built in Baltimore in over six decades. The new school is aptly named for the intrepid Mary Elizabeth Lange, an African American religious sister remembered as a pioneer in educating children of color in Baltimore City in the nineteenth century.
With approximately 65,000 sq.ft. of 21st-century learning environment, Mother Mary Lange Catholic will serve about 500 students in Pre-K through 8th grade from the surrounding community. Lorax worked with both the design and construction teams in surpassing the city’s minimum green requirements and securing a LEED Gold certification for the new school.
Commendable sustainability highlights include low-flow, best-in-class water fixtures and kitchen appliances, electrical conduit for future electric vehicle charging equipment, and an energy-efficient VAV system. Close coordination between the contractor (Whiting-Turner) and the commissioning agent (Budova Engineering) led to a highly successful commissioning process, thereby providing an extra layer of insurance on a well-constructed and properly functioning facility. The Archdiocese also went above and beyond in opting to pursue an innovative LEED pilot credit that guided the development and implementation of a COVID-preparedness and green cleaning plan to safeguard the health of its students, staff, and teachers.
Mother Mary Lange Photos Credit: Alain Jaramillo