The project, located on 6510 Falls Road involves the renovation of and additions to two existing two story buildings linked together by a one story connector. One building is a 2-story stone structure dating to the 1800’s, and the other is a 2-story timber frame structure that dates from the mid-1900’s with a later frame addition facing the creek in the back.

The stone clad cottage was a small single family residence and the timber frame building was used as a flower shop. Historically the stone building was part of the copper mine located in this Bare Hills area. The mine started 1845 and closed 1880. Reopened during the period 1905. This area had industrial beginnings as a mining site because the soil of the aptly-named Bare Hills was thin and of poor quality. A private Baltimore City based law firm purchased this property and buildings to renovate and create a work space for their offices with spectacular views of the copper mine hills and the Falls Creek. 

The 4000 sf., two story building was deteriorated and needed repair of the exterior envelope and interior spaces. The design included salvaging the historical context of the old wood beams + stone walls and gutting some of the additions that were made in the past few decades. KPN worked carefully in exposing all that was historical, then restoring them and finally adding modern materials that supported the program and aesthetic context. The design included demolishing the existing deteriorated connector pavilions and replacing them with a wood and glass connecting bridge with views to the front and rear of the site.

The new program for the law offices and meeting spaces were carefully placed within the existing structure without compromising some of the existing structural framing. The interior spaces were also created mindful of the exterior vistas to the natural  slope and creek to the rear of the building. All of the HVAC and Electrical systems were coordinated with the interior exposed beams and columns in mind.

KPN Architects were responsible for space planning and designing the program. They were also responsible for preparing the design, bid and construction documents for the project.