The headquarters building for the chesapeake bay Foundation, in Annapolis, Md., is an extension of the owner's mission to protect and restore the health of its surroundings. "Our expertise is the Chesapeake Bay and how to save it," says Chuck Foster, the foundation's chief of staff. "The building is part of that," he adds.
The $7.2-million, 32,000-sq-ft facility, on a 31-acre water-front site, is composed of two double-story, loft-like sheds�an office building and a conference center�that are raised above the ground on pier foundations. Both volumes have glazed south-facing fa�ades with operable windows to take advantage of prevalent bay breezes and to maximize passive solar benefit. A fixed-louver sun shade lets in low winter sun but shields the building from heat gain in summer.