Licensed Architect Stefanie Tincher has been managing an evaluation of the William Donald Schaefer Building, which houses an array of Maryland state agencies.
Copper cladding and art deco detailing enhance the 37-floor William Donald Schaefer Building, better known as Schaefer Tower, in Baltimore. Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects has been conducting a two-phase assessment to bring the 1986 tower up to date.
From the three-level basement parking garage to the rooftop flagpole that reaches a height of 590 feet, eclipsing every other building in the state, M&D is performing a full assessment, including the operation of aging systems and usage of space.
Phase one assessment
In the first phase of the assessment, Licensed Architect Stefanie Tincher, the project manager, went through the building, named for the former mayor and Maryland governor, floor by floor with M&D’s engineering consultants to identify and understand any deficiencies.
The team found the building’s infrastructure in need of repair. The plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems are original and need to be replaced.
Tincher then created a programming document that provided a roadmap for the Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) to complete in the future and a recommendation for how to move forward with overhauling the building’s systems.
“It’s a very large building with a lot of complex systems,” says Tincher
Phase two interviews
While the lobby features art deco-style architectural highlights and a mural, from the mezzanine up the building primarily consists of standard office spaces.
In late October, Tincher and her team began working on the second phase of the assessment, which involves interviewing department heads at the 14 state agencies and the 1,100 employees housed in the building.
Tincher eagerly looks forward to the interview process, finding out what each department requires and coming up with solutions so that the office spaces meet the needs of employees.
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“My guess,” Tincher says, “is that they’re going to need some tweaks here or there with a few areas that need full gut renovations.”
A focus for Tincher will be determining how to incorporate more functionality for hybrid and telecommuting workers. She wants to ensure that departments don’t end up with empty offices much of the time as certain workers may come in and work there “in-person” only occasionally.
Working outside the box
With work norms changing, Tincher has seen employers turn to office hoteling, where employees digitally reserve space and resources before coming to work. Rotating workstations instead of designated desks are another option she’s considering for her recommendations.
Tincher and her team also are creating bird’s-eye-view layouts using bubble diagrams to address how space is used in department offices and depict any areas in need of major renovation. She expects the second phase to be completed in the next few months with construction beginning as soon as the middle of next year.
Working on the Schaefer Tower assessment isn’t M&D’s first experience with Maryland DGS. The firm has an on-call relationship with the State agency and regularly assesses, updates, and designs DGS renovation projects and also from the ground up new construction.
“I’m hoping,” says Tincher, “that, once renovated, it will liven up the building a bit and liven up the block where the building is located in Baltimore – and give them a more efficient building.”.
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