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	January 2012		Light House Homeless Prevention Support Center wins ULI WaveMaker Award, one of six prestigious projects awarded by the Baltimore District Council of The Urban Land Institute for its vision and innovation. The 24,000 square foot structure, which is supported by a consortium of 12 churches in Annapolis, MD, includes a 45 bed shelter, four family apartments, bag lunch and grocery distribution center, an employment resource center, garden space, a training kitchen and multiple other resources for people in crisis. The project achieved LEED Silver certification.

			Montgomery College Science Center featured in Home and Design Magazine The newly opened academic building on the College's Rockville campus was just featured in Home and Design's January/February 2012 issue. The 140,000 square foot building, designed in association with Stantec Architecture, features labs for biology, chemistry and physical sciences, classrooms, a rooftop observatory, a greenhouse and faculty offices. The building is connected to existing campus buildings via a 4-story atrium. http://www.homeanddesign.com/article.asp?paper=97&cat=176&article=21244

			Lillian Jones Apartments Groundbreaking is anticipated for January. This 74-unit affordable housing project is designed around an open courtyard featuring bioswales that provide stormwater management and a landscape amenity. Located in the Greenmount neighborhood of Baltimore, the 4-story building fits well into its rowhouse context and will revitalize a vacant block. Residents have access to gracious community spaces, laundry facilities, and ample storage. The building will be equivalent to LEED Silver through the Baltimore City Green Building Standard.

			CBHA Senior Associate, Brian Oster, continues his ongoing volunteer work as a board member of D Center Baltimore as they engage in the Station North neighborhood to fulfill the goals outlined in their recently awarded NEA “Our Town” place-making grant. D center Baltimore is a broad cross-section of disciplines and individuals invested in improving and encouraging design-in all its iterations-in the Baltimore region. Their mission springs from a foundation belief that design thinking has the capacity to change the world and that banding together in creative collaboration will greatly improve the quality of urban life. website: http://www.dcenterbaltimore.com/ blog: http://dcenterbaltimore.tumblr.com/

			Maryland School for the Deaf Cho Benn Holback's recently completed Dining Hall is entering its second year of service. This 8,200 square foot building provides a much-needed dining facility, full commercial kitchen and multi-purpose venue for this historic Frederick campus. While accommodating the special needs of those with hearing disabilities, the new complex occupies a prominent place on campus with architecture that complements the historic context of brick facades and pitched roofs. The glassy main dining space spills out to an outdoor eating terrace and takes advantage of the lovely tree lined setting. Exterior Interior

			Montgomery College Science East Construction is set to start in January 2012 on a complete renovation of Science East, an existing 53,737 square foot, four story building on the College's Rockville Campus. CBH+A, working with Stantec in Washington DC, provided design and detailing services for the complete replacement of the exterior building envelope, including roof. The renovated structure is the second phase in a three-phase project that expands and consolidates the Science and Math programs located at the heart of the Rockville campus.

			Archdiocese of Baltimore Cho Benn Holback is pleased to be starting work on the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (aka the Baltimore Basilica) in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, and St. Patrick's Church in Fell's Point. In association with Keast & Hood, structural engineers, CBHA will be making repair recommendations for damage caused by the August, 2011 earthquake. http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/earthquake-damaged-catholic-churches-in-baltimore-and-washington/

	December 2011		Kepler Performing and Visual Arts Education Center Construction on this Arts Center at Hagerstown Community College is due for completion in January 2012. The Kepler project represents 14,123 s.f of renovation and 29,242 s.f. of new construction, and creates a new center dedicated to the teaching of arts curriculum at the College. It also brings student performing and visual arts directly to the greater Hagerstown community by way of its 486-seat state-of-the-art theater that is now housed under the same roof as previously scattered drama, dance, visual arts and music programs. Exterior Interior

			Cho Benn Holback's recently completed work at Mondawmin Mall was featured on the cover of the Baltimore Development Corporation's Annual Report 2010. The $75 million project at the 50-year old mall included 225,000 s.f. of additions for more retail space plus complete interior renovations of the existing 500,000 s.f. mall, including new flooring, railings, lighting and updated mechanical and sprinkler systems. The project also included major new entries, graphics, signage and landscaping.

			Smithsonian Institution Cho Benn Holback continues with on-going projects for the Smithsonian. We are currently working with The National Zoo to convert the former prairie exhibit, which used to be the home where the buffalo (bison) roamed, into a home for takin. The takin is one of the larger and stockier goat antelopes and originates in the mountains of Asia. The legend of the 'golden fleece', searched for by Jason and the Argonauts, may have been inspired by the lustrous coat of the golden takin.

			Principal, Diane Cho has been invited to serve on the Program Advisory Committee for the Our Town Project. Funded by the NEA, the project distributes funds to qualified artists and organizations who submit competitive proposals for projects that enhance and promote Baltimore’s Station North Arts & Entertainment District. http://www.stationnorth.org

			Senior Associate Anath Ranon was recently awarded a Distinguished Service Award from AIA Baltimore. The award was given during AIA Baltimore's Annual Meeting.

			St. Ignatius Loyola Academy This fall, Cho Benn Holback began working with the Academy, a tuition-free independent Jesuit school for underserved boys in grades six through eight. We are helping the school plan their move from their current location in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore to a vacant historic parish school building in Federal Hill. The 26,000 s.f. building will be renovated to create an engaging learning environment for middle school boys preparing to attend college-preparatory high schools. Work includes full code upgrades, classrooms, Science Lab, Art Room, Library, administrative space classrooms, including labs, and expanded space for Art, Library and administration. http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs077/1102573040482/archive/ 1108370582569.html

			Community Outreach for the Holidays Staff from Cho Benn Holback participated in Herman Miller’s annual holiday carnival “We Care” at a local Boys & Girls Club. At this event, nine design firms set up tables of holiday crafts, games and a station where kids could have their picture taken with Santa. There were around 150 kids (ages 5-12) participating.

			Helping Those in Need Cho Benn Holback places great importance on giving back to the community in which we operate. For the second year in a row, we are collecting donation items for the House Of Ruth Maryland, one of the nation's leading domestic violence centers that helps thousands of battered women and their children find the safety and security that so many of us take for granted. The donated items collected will make a real difference in the lives of battered women and their children. Cho Benn Holback is committed to providing support to those in need even in the most difficult economic times. Here is a link to a "Wish List" for items needed at the House Of Ruth Maryland. http://www.hruth.org/wish-list.asp

	November 2011		Everyman Theatre Original Facade Uncovered Last month, contractors working on the front façade of the Everyman Theatre uncovered five intact cast iron spandrel panels, previously thought to be lost. The panels will be cleaned and painted as part of the façade restoration. The Everyman’s grand opening is scheduled for December, 2012.

			American Brewery wins National Trust Honor Award Adding once again to a long list of honors, Cho Benn Holback’s work on the historic American Brewery project has won a prestigious 2011 National Preservation Honor Award from the National Trust. The project was further honored by receiving the National Trust Board of Advisors National Preservation Award, for its demonstration that preservation leads to economic development and creates jobs; the American Brewery project was the unanimous selection of the Board. http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2011/november-december/2011-honor-roll.html

			Smithsonian Institution Cho Benn Holback continues with on-going projects for the Smithsonian. A feasibility study for the Freer + Sackler Galleries Education Center has been completed. This renovation provides the opportunity of developing a new, innovative workplace model for museum staff encouraging collaboration and transparency.

			Dayspring Inc. Cho Benn Holback is working with Dr. Linda Gorham on the Dayspring Center, a new facility providing after-school programs in science, technology and the arts for students in grades 4 – 12. Rooted in Baltimore’s’ Park Heights/Pimlico community, these programs will provide a nurturing yet rigorous supplemental education for disadvantaged children and their families.

			Maryland Institute College of Art The first phase of renovations to MICA’s Graduate Studio Center on North Avenue is complete. The phase 1 work focused on perimeter windows, large storefronts, glassy entry and site work along the North Avenue frontage, which gives MICA a major street presence that will ultimately connect to a phase 2 new main lobby/gallery area, café and lecture hall. Scheduled for summer of 2012, phase 2 will transform the entire 120,000 s.f. building into a dynamic hub of graduate study programs. Before After

			Aberdeen TOD Cho Benn Holback is part of a team working on a TOD (Transit Oriented Development) Master Plan for the city of Aberdeen. The TOD Master Plan concepts were developed and refined during a series of public workshops and presentations that were held over the summer and fall. The Master Plan identifies a vision for downtown Aberdeen that brings economic development opportunities and activity to the area, adds much-needed green space, reconnects disjointed neighborhoods and creates denser, more compact, walkable urban environments that support and enhance the train station activity as well as the downtown character. Before Proposed http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/harford/news/community/ph-re-record-column-1028-20111026,0,3650235.story http://mdot.maryland.gov/Planning/TOD/Aberdeen_TOD.html

	October 2011		Montgomery College Science Center Wins AIA Maryland Design Award AIA Maryland has recognized Cho Benn Holback's work on the design of the new Science Center at Montgomery College Rockville Campus with a Merit Award. The jury commented that "the project is commendable in the way in which it takes a very difficult program and develops an architectural language that is particular, but clear part of the campus." "This project is a complicated program on a campus where achieving this level of quality project is not necessarily an easy thing to do." This project was designed in association with Stantec Architecture.

			Baltimore Architecture Month “Revisioning Your School” Please join us for this tour and discussion to examine how buildings can be reinvented to reinforce school programs and needs. Three very different programs and facilities will be explored. You will visit the Baltimore School for the Arts to view the renovations/additions and compare them with previous conditions. Principal, David Benn, AIA, LEED AP of Cho Benn Holback + Associates, will also review transformations at the Park School and Forbush School. Time: 6 p.m. Location: Baltimore School for the Arts, 712 Cathedral St., 21201, Mt. Vernon Cost: FREE 1 AIA/CES (HSW) credit Visit www.aiabalt.com for details on the many events of Baltimore Architecture Month in September/October.

	Past News		There's No Business Like Show Business…Everyman Theatre Celebrates Groundbreaking The Everyman Theatre celebrated the groundbreaking of its new venue on Tuesday, June 7th with a "staged" block party. The nearly $18 million renovation, designed by Cho Benn Holback + Associates, will transport the theater from its former home on North Charles Street to 315 West Fayette Street on Baltimore's growing West Side. "Everyman's move … is a momentous occasion for the arts community and will build on the progress that has already taken place on the west side," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said at the ceremony. Opening of the new theater is planned for the start of Everyman's 2012-2013 season.

			Restoration Gardens was recently presented with the Best Small Affordable Housing Project Award from the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND) Restoration Gardens is a 43 unit property in the Park Heights neighborhood of Baltimore that provides permanent housing to at risk homeless youths between 18-24 years old. This project is the only one of its kind in Maryland and only one of a handful of such projects for homeless young people in the country. Restoration Gardens was developed and is owned by a partnership of Homes for America and AIRS/Empire Homes of Maryland. HAND presents the awards each year to recognize best practices in affordable housing projects, programs and organizations in the greater Washington, DC area. Watch WBAL-TV 11 News coverage of Restoration Gardens.

			Anath Ranon, Senior Associate, scheduled to speak at the Traditional Building Conference Series in Philadelphia. Anath will be presenting a case study on Baltimore's American Brewery rehabilitation, entitled "Window Replication in Historic Buildings". Fellow Speakers: William B. Mincey, AIA, John B. Murray Architect, New York, NY and Joseph Riley, Marvin Windows and Doors, Philadelphia, PA For more information about the conference series, or this session, which takes place at 9:00 am on Friday, April 15th, please visit: http://www.traditionalbuildingshow.com/philadelphia2011/schedule.shtml

			Once again, Cho Benn Holback's redesign of the American Brewery has received accolades for the tremendous impact its transformation has made on the surrounding community. "Humanim has received more notoriety in the last three years than we did in our first 30, and it's all because of this project," says Henry Posko, the chief executive of Humanim. Check out this link for the full article.

			Cho Benn Holback was recently featured in The Capital Newspaper for its design of the new Light House Shelter, a homeless prevention center located in Annapolis. Check out this link for the full article.

			Cho Benn Holback is featured in this month's issue of Baltimore Magazine for its transformative adaptive reuse work throughout Baltimore over the past 32 years.

			Principal David Benn and Senior Associate Brian Oster are speaking at the annual SCUP (Society for College and University Planning) 2011 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference to be held at the College of William & Mary in Colonial Williamsburg. Their session, "Attracting Students to Science (STEM) Education at Community Colleges" will discuss ways in which the planning and design of STEM facilities can engage the student population and encourage degree completion. Community colleges have been working to increase student success in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines through programs like Project Kaleidoscope. Changing pedagogy, with its hands-on, interactive teaching styles is changing class sizes, layouts, furnishings, and the desire for visibility inside and outside the classroom. What are the impacts of addressing lab needs that can vary from highly disciplinary specific to interdisciplinary in flexible labs and related programs? Can the design of a STEM building aid in creating interest in these programs by also providing comfortable space for commuters and others? This session discusses these questions in the context of a project for a sustainable STEM teaching facility, one where the costs and benefits of achieving a LEED certification were weighed against 'best practices' as an approach. All these factors will be described, along with the challenges of getting funding support from the county, state, and others. FELLOW PRESENTERS: Sandra Filippi, Campus Planner, Montgomery College Katherine Michaelian, Dean, Business, Science, Math and Technology Division, Montgomery College For more information about the conference, or this session, which takes place at 11:00 am on March 8th, visit the conference website.

			Principal David Benn was invited to serve on a five-person panel tasked with studying the struggling Waterside Festival Marketplace in Norfolk Virginia. The intense two day charette culminated in a report that made recommendations for the troubled downtown spot and was released to the Norfolk City Council for review. Below are links to local news reports. http://www.wvec.com/news/local/Report-Keep-Waterside-but-give-it-a-facelift-113235779.html http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/future-of-waterside-proposal http://hamptonroads.com/2011/01/panel-unanimous-dont-tear-down-waterside

	12.06.2010		AIA Baltimore has recognized two of Cho Benn Holback’s design projects as part of their 2010 Design Awards program. The Barbara Ingram School for the Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland received a Design Award and Aberdeen Hall at Harford Community College received an Honorable Mention Award.

	12.06.2010		Adding to a long list of honors, Cho Benn Holback was the winner of NH&RA’s prestigious “Timmy Award” for its adaptive reuse of the historic American Brewery project. The "Timmy" awards honor outstanding rehabilitation and preservation projects based on overall design and quality, interpretation and respect of historic elements, impacts on the community and financial and market success.

	12.06.2010		Cho Benn Holback is pleased to announce that Rachel Collier has joined the firm as Marketing Director. In this role, Ms. Collier is responsible for all aspects of proposal, interview, and award submission development, including team selection, proposal writing and coordination, presentation design, content development, and coaching, and award submission writing and layout. Working closely with CBHA’s Principals and marketing team, she plays a critical role in securing new design contracts for the firm. Ms. Collier is a graduate of Washington College with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management degree. She is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS).

	12.06.2010		Anath Ranon, AIA, LEED Green Associate has recently been appointed as Commissioner of the Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP).

	04.28.2010		Cho Benn Holback has begun designing the renovation of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Graduate Studio Center in Baltimore. The existing 1915 warehouse will be transformed into a dynamic hub of graduate study programs housing shared galleries, lecture hall, meeting, work and fabrication space, café, and painting, mixed-media and photography studios that will anchor MICA's presence on North Avenue.

	04.23.2010		Two local shelters designed by Cho Benn Holback have recently started construction. Restoration Gardens, located in the Southern Park Heights neighborhood of Baltimore is a 43 unit complex for young adults with a history of homelessness. In Annapolis, Lighthouse Shelter provides housing, job training, employment resources and after school activities for homeless men, women and families. The new 24,000 square foot facility is seeking LEED silver certification.

	04.22.2010		Humanim and Cho Benn Holback continue to be acknowledged locally and nationally for the renovation of the American Brewery in East Baltimore. The project was recently recognized by; the Urban Land Institute, the Baltimore Business Journal, the Daily Record, the Maryland Historical Trust, AIA Maryland, AIA Baltimore, the Association of Building Contractors, the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, and Baltimore Heritage.

	01.01.2010		Happy New Year! Cho Benn Holback is happy to announce that Anath Ranon has been named Senior Associate.

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