The new Sparrows Point Recreation Center will revitalize a long vacant waterfront property while serving as a new standard for building performance and environmentally conscious design.
Project Information
Location
Sparrows Point, MD
Client
Manns Woodward Studios
Owner
Baltimore County
Size
10k - 250k sq ft
Certification
Anticipated LEED Platinum
Maritime visitors to the Baltimore Harbor were once greeted by the sight of behemoth steel plants and bustling shipyards along the Sparrows Point waterfront. When the factories closed, they left a complicated heritage in their wake – a rich history and civic pride, combined with an economic vacuum and an environmentally exhausted landscape.
The public-private partnership between Baltimore County and Tradepoint Atlantic seeks to honor the former while resolving the latter, and the proposed Sparrows Point Recreation Center is a prime example of the region’s bold revitalization goals. Twenty-two acres of vacant waterfront will be transformed into a community focal point, all with sustainability and social responsibility top-of-mind. The center will feature an outdoor playground, full-size athletic field, fishing pier, kayak launch, walking paths, and a 16,000-sq.ft. facility, all nestled amidst extensive native landscaping and restored habitat. Green features incorporate everything from the cutting-edge (e.g., rooftop photovoltaics) to the commonplace (e.g., swapping asphalt paving for concrete). The result – a LEED® Platinum project that embodies a vision for a renewed and thriving Sparrows Point.
TOP THREE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES EXPLORED
- Building electrification (i.e., fossil fuel-free heating, cooling, etc.)
- Whole-building life cycle assessment for embodied carbon reduction
- Bike network, carshares, and shuttle service to reduce personal vehicle dependence