City of College Park, Maryland and the University of Maryland
Location College Park, MD
The new College Park City Hall, located in downtown College Park, Maryland is a jointly owned project between the City of College Park and the University of Maryland which includes city, university, and community spaces.
Objective
The building is organized around a new civic plaza that marks the heart of the City of College Park. The building includes a new city council chamber, public meeting space, and a central lobby connecting the neighborhood to the East with the plaza on the building’s West side. The retail space faces Baltimore Avenue with outdoor dining activating the plaza. Both the plaza and building incorporate sustainable features for energy and responsible treatment of water.
The City of College Park occupies 38,000 square feet on the first and second floor, the University of Maryland occupies 45,000 square feet on the third and fourth floor and 7,000 square feet is dedicated to retail space along the ground floor.
“It represents the best of public architecture, civic investment, and placemaking.”
Awards
Excellence in Design: Public Building of the Year Award (Institutional Architecture), AIA Maryland Chapter, 2022
Excellence in Design: Honor Award (Institutional Architecture), AIA Maryland Chapter, 2022
Maryland Department of Planning, Maryland Sustainable Growth Award, Honorable Mention, 2022
The challenge for College Park City Hall was to replace an outdated, inaccessible building with a new facility that would function better for its citizens, be reflective of the partnership and create a true heart for the city that is adaptable, equitable and accessible for everyone.
The Heart
To create a physical heart for the city, the design team organized the building around a large civic plaza occupying the corner of Baltimore Avenue and Knox Road, two of the major streets running through the campus and city of College Park. The plaza is designed to be accessible to all people and act as a forecourt to the building’s entry inviting people in.
The Plaza
The plaza is designed with flexible open space that allows for both active and passive use. Landscape and overhangs provide areas for both shade and sun. A variety of seating types and areas accommodate spill out from retail as well as gathering and individual seating areas.
Water
Treatment of water from the building and plaza is put on display with a landscaped bioretention area adjacent to the entry path to the building in order to demonstrate College Park and the University of Maryland’s commitment to responsible water use and treatment.
Retail
The building’s layout surrounded the plaza with spaces for future retail in the building’s base to help activate the space and make it a truly unique mixed-use civic building. Spaces for the more public facing city functions occupy the first two floors organized around a central stairway.
The City's Space
The city council chamber sits above and overlooks the plaza. It was designed with a large expanse of glass representing the
transparency of government and allowing views to the city and university beyond.
Awards & Recognition
Excellence in Design: Honor Award (Institutional Architecture), AIA Maryland Chapter, 2022
Excellence in Design: Public Building of the Year Award (Institutional Architecture), AIA Maryland Chapter, 2022
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