Faced with a growing demand for convenient student housing, MICA sought a new student residence that would serve as an exciting visual gateway to the school and highlight the Northern edge of campus. Conceived as the result of an RTKL in-house design contest, the 99,000-SF 11-story structure uses an unconventional format to address the challenges posed by the heavily trafficked site bordering one of Baltimore’s main arteries.

The design consists of a distinctive circular structure sectioned into residential units that surround a private central open-air courtyard. The building’s exterior consists of streamlined glass panels varying in color, transparency, and reflectivity. A 10-floor fritted glass studio tower serves as an anchor, partially shielding noise from the highway while functioning as a billboard-style showcase for the artistic work occurring in its 38 private studios and two large communal studios. A ground floor wall wraps around the base of the building and defines the structure’s edge along the street. First-story amenities further link to the local community, fusing public and private space in a café, black box theater and gallery space.