PNC BANK | Baltimore, Md

FROM FACTORY TO FINANCE...Forging a Modern Bank from Industrial History

In colloboration with Gensler

The Challenge: 

The challenge was to create a modern, welcoming PNC Bank branch within the historic shell of the Bagby Furniture Company, an industrial-era manufacturing plant in a revitalized Baltimore neighborhood. The goal was not to create a generic bank, but to design a space that was deeply informed by the building's past, giving new purpose to its raw, historic materials.

Our FADE Approach (as Lead Designer): 

As Lead Designer on this project, my Architectural approach was a careful dialogue between past and present. The strategy was a "conscientious concealment and exposure," revealing the building's honest brick and heavy timber structure while inserting clean, modern elements like glass-walled offices. The soul of the project lies in the Fabrication and repurposing of materials. We uniquely salvaged heavy timbers from the original structure to create stunning, tactile end-grain wood walls and a dramatic, sculptural canopy that floats above the main space. A massive, original fire door was given new life as a sliding wall for the main conference room.

The Outcome: 

The result, featured in Architectural Record Online, is a financial space that honors the building's heritage rather than erasing it. The repurposed materials create a powerful sense of authenticity and place, connecting a modern bank to the industrial history of Baltimore. The project stands as a testament to the belief that by salvaging and creatively repurposing the past, we can create new spaces that are richer, more meaningful, and deeply integrated into the fabric of the city.

We have the expertise to combine architecture and fabrication to transform historic materials into modern, meaningful spaces.

Contact us to discuss your project