The new law center replaces the University of Baltimore's 1980s law school, offering a contemporary look to the campus. The building houses classrooms, faculty offices, administrative space and the law library under a single roof for the first time in the school's history.

Located on a prominent street corner next to Baltimore's main train station, the location allowed the project team to create a highly visible threshold to the campus and the city while also serving as a symbol of the university's commitment to the ongoing renewal of Baltimore.

Designers met the project's diverse program by organizing the building as three interlocking volumes shaped around an atrium. This central open space, topped by a skylight, introduces daylight and aims to encourage interaction. It is used as a gathering space, an events hall and an active circulation hub, while serving as the ventilation stack for the entire building.

"This is a unique building and no one on the design team or construction team had attempted anything quite like this before," Barber said. "The commitment to make it happen was pretty remarkable."

John and Frances Angelos Law Center, Baltimore

Key Players

Owner University of Baltimore

Architect of Record Ayers Saint Gross Inc.

Lead Design Behnisch Architekten

General Contractor The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.

Structural Engineer Cagley & Associates Inc.

Civil Engineer RK&K Engineers

MEP Engineer Mueller Associates Inc.

Climate/Energy Modeling TransSolar—Stuttgart/New York

Cost Estimator Davis Langdon

Lighting Design MCLA

IT/AV/Acoustics speXsys LLC