Located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, City House Charles is a boutique mixed-use development consisting of ground-floor retail and class-A office space above. The design incorporated the preservation of two historic buildings dating back to the 1840s, and the construction of a new eight-story office building behind the existing structures and above, totaling 28,000 square feet of space.

Historic Preservation

City House Charles is located on a prominent corner in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. It is located in a densely urban and walkable neighborhood where people work, live, and gather. An important aspect of this development was historic preservation and blending the new design with the existing neighborhood elements.

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Design

As part of the demolition and re-development of the multi-property design, Kleinfelder provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering design services. This included coordination with gas and electric utilities, coordination of water and storm drainage, load calculations for heating systems, fitout of the commercial and residential spaces, design of fire alarm systems, and construction-phase services. As the property is within the city of Baltimore, the design of systems adhered to Baltimore specifications for sustainability.

Sustainable design elements included occupancy sensors and the incorporation of ample natural daylight. The central condenser plant and rooftop cooling tower serve the office and retail levels. Office floors were provided with packaged VAV AHUs supported by the condenser water plant. A VRF system a rooftop dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) also serves the office and retail levels.

Project Results

The Guardian House office, retail, and residential spaces opened in March 2023. Guardian House was honored by the Baltimore Chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI Baltimore) in 2024 with a WaveMaker award, showcasing the project’s sense of place and quality, sustainability, visionary/emulation qualities, and need in the community.

Project Details

Location:
Baltimore, MD
Owner:
Landmark Partners