|
|
Solutions From Concept To Completion
Structural Engineering
Site Solutions From Concept To Completion
Civil Engineering
Solutions Where Land Meets Water
Marine + Coastal
Solutions From Procurement To Completion
Construction Engineering
Structural + Mechanical Specialists
Entertainment Engineering
Consultation, Design + Inspection
Facade + Building Envelope
Soil + Foundation
Geotechnical Engineering
Investigation + Litigation Support
Forensic Engineering
Live Performances
Museums + Art Displays
Pop-Ups
Signage
Studios + Sound Stages
TV + Film Production
Theaters
Theme Parks + Playplaces
Education
Colleges + Universities
Private + Specialty Schools
Public K-12
Energy
Solar Energy
Transmission Infrastructure
Wind Energy
Oil + Gas
Municipal
State
Federal
Senior Care
Hospitals
Outpatient Facilities
Heavy Industrial
Warehouse + Distribution Centers
Industrial Ports + Terminals
Berths, Piers + Wharves
Bulkheads
Ferry Landings, Ship Terminals
Floating Structures
Ports + Terminals
Marinas + Breakwaters
Transfer Stations
Bikeways + Trails
Esplanades
Garage + Parking Facilities
Parks + Public Spaces
Recreational Spaces
Streetscapes
Utility Infrastructure
Commercial
Community Facilities
Mixed-Use
Multifamily Residential
Airports
Bridges
Ports + Terminals
Rail Transportation
Roads + Highways
Ropeway + Linear Infrastructure
Floating Harbor Wetland
Albany Warehouse Drone Inspection + 3D Digital Twin Modeling
416 + 420 Kent Dynamic Highrise
Wittpenn Bridge
Tiffany Crane
Orlando Airport LED Displays
NYC Ferry
TSX Broadway
Multimodal Processing Plant
Grassy Point Road Bridge Replacement
LaGuardia Airport Terminal B
A leading full-service engineering firm renowned for our trusted, high quality, and innovative approach to solving complex challenges.

Elms Fells Point – Waterfront Community

Adaptive Reuse

The former Wolfe Street warehouse in Baltimore, Maryland’s historic Fell’s Point neighborhood has been transformed into Elms Fells Point (formally known as The Pennant) – a new multifamily, waterfront community. McLaren Engineering Group worked with architecture firm, Hord Coplan Macht and general contractors, Chesapeake Contracting Group to provide structural and marine engineering services for this part adaptive reuse, part new construction residential complex.

Elms Fells Point Drawing of Warehouse Overbuild

Warehouse Overbuild

The 285-unit structure, developed by Elm Street Development, partially re-purposes the two-story Wolfe Street warehouse. The conversion created a parking garage, fitness center, residential entry, and storage space. Atop the existing structure, a three-story wood-framed vertical addition was erected. The add-on to the existing levels comprises studio, junior one-bedroom, one-bedroom, one-bedroom and den, and two-bedroom units. These residential units are set back from the existing warehouse parapet per the goals of the Fells Point Urban Renewal Plan and feature private terraces.

New Construction

Part of the existing warehouse was razed and a 5-story, 307,500 sf wood-framed addition was erected on the existing foundations. The building houses a leasing center, main amenity space, and 23 new 4-story townhomes. McLaren designed the new construction at the razed existing building footprint to allow for the reuse of the foundations. The addition houses 20,000 sf of amenity space. This includes a courtyard, multiple community spaces, and lounges as well as a bike shop. Our team also developed drawings for a demolition bid package, to create room for this new space.

Additionally, McLaren designed new foundations for the proposed townhomes. The units reflect a modern use of similar styles found in the traditional rowhouse and industrial architecture in the historic district. Due to flood plain conditions caused by The Pennant’s close proximity to the water’s edge, one and two built-in rear car garages are on the ground level.

The urban community was built to National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Silver.

Structural Findings

To determine how many units could be added to the existing building at 2001 Aliceanna Street without the need for significant structural modifications,  McLaren conducted a feasibility study and condition assessment. Based on the findings, a design was developed that allowed the reuse of existing columns and foundations of the warehouse without significant modification.

Preserving The Warehouse Facade

It was important to the community to keep the feel of the building, so McLaren added new steel girts and braces to back up the existing facade. This preserved the building’s original character while securing the facade it in place.

Increased Parking

Additionally, McLaren developed a schematic parking layout to allow for increased parking within the existing column layout. This plan enabled The Pennant to offer each residential unit at least 1 spot. The parking layout created 313 parking spaces instead of the 274 that had been previously proposed. This efficient parking layout also resulted in the ability to add additional amenity space.

The Waterfront

Elms Fells Point will also feature a refurbished bulkhead and public promenade, connecting the community to the Baltimore Harbor.

For this modern waterfront community, McLaren’s in-house P.E. divers performed above and under-water inspections. They analyzed approximately 350 linear feet of the bulkhead system and concrete platform lining the development. The team made recommendations to increase the longevity of the existing system and designed a new bulkhead system, reusing the existing tie-backs and piles. Reusing the piles instead of installing new ones saved approximately 150 new piles with a value of around $600,000.

Location
Baltimore, MD
Year Completed
2023
Client
Hord Coplan Macht, Inc.

Image Credit for Images 2 and 6: Hord Coplan Macht, Inc.