September 2014
Everyman Theatre Wins NCSEA Award
The adaptive reuse renovation of Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland, won a national 2014 Excellence in Structural Engineering Award in the Renovation/Rehabilitation Category. The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) presented the award 19 September during the organization’s 22nd Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Keast & Hood Principal Matthew J. Daw, PE, LEED AP, was on hand to accept the award.
The project to renovate historic Everyman Theatre revitalized an abandoned property for new use by a community theater organization. Encompassing historic preservation, creative design, construction craftsmanship, and good stewardship, the project did more than create a modern performing arts venue – it contributed to positive neighborhood and economic renewal in Baltimore’s West Side arts district. Structural design challenges included accommodating acoustics for two stacked theaters, isolating the structure from an adjacent train tunnel, developing a unique and cost-effective system to restore the deteriorated façade, and reacting to structural surprises and not one, but two, natural disasters. Cho Benn Holback + Associates was the project architect.