Merchant Point is situated in the heart of the Fell’s Point neighborhood in Baltimore. Formerly empty lots and rundown buildings, the project is now a vibrant, mixed-use development. New townhomes designed at the scale of the neighborhood’s historic commercial buildings infilled the vacant lots and blend with the existing historic buildings on site.

As part of the master plan, the historic buildings were restored and modernized. The convent was converted into a school and given a playground and an urban garden to be shared with the community. The church was repurposed for use as offices, a gym/yoga studio, a residential unit, and an auditorium for the school. The four-bay mansion was restored to its original grandeur and an addition was designed.

The new townhouse buildings integrate into the site and the surrounding neighborhood in their scale, proportion, and materiality. Looking to the neighborhood’s historic commercial buildings for massing, each group of townhomes has its own personality through the use of traditional masonry details. The interiors of the three groups incorporate open floor plans and modern features to create airy, bright spaces. Residents of the townhomes can take advantage of the lively street presence on Ann Street through street front access and stoops.

Planned using design principles that placed an emphasis on urbanism and sustainability, Merchant Point has seamlessly woven itself into the historic context of Fell’s Point and reinvigorated a dilapidated and underused site.