Architect：GriD architects pc

Location：Annapolis, MD, USA

Project Year：2019

Category：Offices Commercial Landscape

107 Forbes is a new single tenant Core & Shell office building which sits veritably in pole position at the literal gateway to both the City’s historic core and the West Annapolis neighborhood it resides within.  The new building replaces one of a series of small scale commercial buildings which sit immediately along Rowe Boulevard.  Following revisions to the zoning code, the strip of land they occupy has been rendered unbuildable due to a uniform setback applied along Rowe Boulevard which engulfs the entire depth of these sites.  In order to build a new structure here the building had to fit essentially within the existing footprint and maintain similar bulk, height and floor area.  

Brycen Fischer Photography

While the overall scale of the building was required per zoning to reflect that of its predecessor, the clarity of its massing and organizational strategy are intentionally a critique of it.  Where the replaced structure had a disjointed and inefficient floor plan the new structure is designed specifically to achieve maximum efficiency, providing flexibility for current and future trends in commercial office space.  This is achieved by consolidating the core to the north edge of the plan, at the Forbes Street entry.  This initial move results in maximized perimeter views back to the east, south and west, which happen to be towards the historic core, the Naval Academy football stadium and the vehicular entrance to the City, respectively.  Further, where the previous building was partially submerged, the new building has been lifted out of the ground.  The lower level, which used to feel truly like a basement, now offers panoramic views and gives its occupants the feeling of occupying space within an active and dynamic slice of the City.  The upper level similarly offers expansive glass walls, this time framing specific views and horizons.

Brycen Fischer Photography

To those who were familiar with the existing highly idiosyncratic wood shingled building, the new cladding could seem a bit tongue & cheek.  This impression is intentional.  The shingle pattern is certainly a subtle nod to nostalgia, reflecting West Annapolis’ unique history for those who reside within this close-knit community.   It is also a reflection of the typical residential siding prominently utilized throughout West Annapolis, which when incorporated into the commercial sector allows these larger buildings to maintain a consistency of texture and scale.  In the case of this building, both intentions and their results embed it within the existing spirit of place.

Brycen Fischer Photography

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