Non-Profit

The project involved an approximately 13,000 SF addition to a historic structure utilized by Baltimore Clayworks, a non-profit ceramic art center. The center and a nearby office building were occupied during construction. Work also involved renovations to the existing building and underpinning foundations at the existing building.

The comprehensive Phase I renovations of the Baltimore Museum of Art were completed and involved the renovation of the West Wing – home to the museum’s contemporary galleries. Renovations in this phase were performed under a CM contract with work including a
roof replacement, lighting systems replacement and related controls, floor refinishing, painting, structural upgrades, and finishes.

All work was completed without disruption to ongoing programming—the Museum remained open to the public throughout construction. The Lewis team worked under high-security escort for the duration on the project. The team successfully coordinated with the multiple stakeholders that make up the Baltimore Museum of Art—from facilites to curating to museum programming—to create a finished, funtional yet inspiration space that the entire team could be proud of.

Since 2006, Lewis Contractors has partnered with The Cal Ripken Sr., Foundation in building youth development parks throughout Maryland and Washington D.C.

These multipurpose, synthetic turf, low-maintenance facilities are designed to provide a cohesive recreational and educational experience for children, particularly in at-risk communities. Following the completion of each field project, the parks are gifted to a youth-serving partner so local children have access, ownership, and pride for their park.

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation continues to have a presence at each field it partners in building to help build character and teach critical life lessons to at-risk young people living in America’s most distressed communities through sports-themed programs.

Nestled deeply within Leakin Park on the grounds of the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School, Orianda Mansion is a little-known, but grand in size mid-19the century treasure. Rich in character and charm, but desperately in need of interior renovations. Built in 1856, Orianda House is the former summer home of Thomas Winans, an engineer with the B&O Railroad and the Chief Engineer of the Russian Railway between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. With its wide porches, expansive ceilings, and signature stonework, the mansion sits at the center of an extensive estate that once included stables, a carriage house, outbuildings, and even a private chapel. The home and chapel narrowly escaped destruction by a proposed extension of Interstate 70 in the 1970s but was fortuitously repurposed to serve as the living facilities for Outward Bound educators and staff. Partnering with Ziger/Snead Architects, Lewis Contractors was excited to embark on yet another unique, but challenging historic preservation campaign to rejuvenate the Outward Bound campus.

The three-story mansion recognized for its trademark stonework, welcoming porches, and elegant high ceilings underwent interior renovations in an effort to operate with greater efficiency—electrical systems being the first major issue to be addressed. Renovations began with the removal of the existing, poorly functioning electrical service and installation of an entirely new electrical system to better support the building. Electrical upgrades included a new fire alarm system to bring the building up to code and new lighting enhancements throughout the facility. The existing kitchen was completely renovated to include new lighting, flooring, appliances, and a new above stove fire suppression system. To bring the building within ADA compliance, a new ADA bathroom was added and a removable aluminum ramp installed on the exterior of the building.

Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School provides outdoor experiential learning opportunities to over 6,000 students every year. They offer one-day programs on the challenge course located throughout the park, as well as multi-day wilderness expeditions for middle and high schools. Outward Bound is a non-profit organization that has eleven schools across the United States, as well locations in over thirty countries with Outward Bound Baltimore designed to represent their number one facility in the country. Lewis Contractors was excited to once again partner with this community organization that continues to inspire strength of character, leadership and service to others and improve the lives of Baltimore residents year after year.
DRAFT

Lewis Contractors has been selected to serve as the Construction Manager for the new Arts Education Center located on Eastern Avenue in downtown Baltimore for The Creative Alliance—a local non-profit engaged in bringing the Baltimore community together to experience the arts through education initiatives, live performances, art exhibitions, and other events. The Creative Alliance’s main goal for the project is to create a facility from the ground up that provides an open artistic environment that supports innovation and encourages the creative process.

Phased construction at the location is planned to begin with the demolition of the 6,600 SF existing commercial building and replaced with a 10,247 SF three-story building that will house classrooms to serve The Creative Alliance education programs. The new structure will include a dance studio/multipurpose room, visual arts studio, arts education classrooms, visitor lounge, teaching kitchenette, reception desk, bathrooms complete with shower facilities, and a three stop 3,000 lb elevator. The exterior of the building will be a combination of brick and fiber cement board cladding over a two hour exterior wall assembly. The work is also planned to include cast-in-place concrete for the building’s foundation footings, structural steel framing, structural and non-structural wood framing, flush and stamped metal doors and fire doors, stamped solid and hollow core wood doors, glazed aluminum storefront window units and entrances, and interior finishes such as woodwork ceramic floors and wall tile, a sprung wood dance floor, luxury vinyl tile, and associated painting.

This project is currently in preconstruction with a construction schedule that is still to be determined.

Lewis was chosen as the Construction Manager to build the new Havre de Grace Library on the corner of North Union and Pennington avenues in Harford County. The project involved the demolition of the existing library building and the construction a new two-story, 19,000 SF facility in its place. The new public library features a 100 person meeting room, courtyard and balcony for outdoor reading, a literacy center for children, and a learning space for elementary school students.

Lewis was selected from a prequalified list of bidders by the Harford County Board of Estimates to complete the $7 million project. Built by Lewis Contractors and designed by Manns Woodward Studios Community Architecture + Master Planning, the new Havre de
Grace Library is more than double in size of the former space. The ribbon cutting for Harford County Public Library’s new Havre de Grace Branch was held June 15, 2016.

Constructed in 1870, the nearly 150-year-old, city-owned building underwent renovations in order to better serve as a multi-use community theatre and performing arts venue. Located on North Union Avenue in the heart of Havre de Grace, the building has been used by the public since 1871 as an opera house, school, city hall, library and most recently, a two-story theatre.

Work on the opera house involved comprehensive interior renovations and the restoration of the building’s exterior façade to historic period significance. Under strict guidance of the Maryland Historic Trust, the brick masonry exterior was restored, the windows were removed and new brick infills were salvaged for parts in order to restore the remaining double sash windows– which now function as intended, once again. Even some of the mahogany panels from the chamber room were salvaged and cleaned, and they now provide decorative column covers at the first floor gathering space.

The entire ceiling needed a comprehensive restoration requiring pieces of the ceiling and its three-part crown molding to be removed, modified, and reinstalled to meet the new configuration of the walls within the theater and its new control room. The first floor space includes a box office, dressing rooms and additional multipurpose space to support a number of activities for the arts and business community—the second floor boasts a modern theatre. The New Opera House now hosts children’s theater and music, touring companies, local performances, music, film, and even business conferences.

The finished lobbies, offices, restrooms, dressing rooms, hallways and gathering areas are now ADA compliant and energy efficient with their state-of-the-art HVAC zones and controls.

Restoration of the South Portico of the Homewood Museum included the removal, cleaning, repair and reinstallation of the existing brick veneer, brick pavers, marble stair treads and risers, marble cheek walls, and the checkerboard stone tiles on the portico landing. All marble from treads and risers was numbered and cataloged as sections were removed for ease and accuracy of reinstallation and was repaired onsite with historically accurate Dutchman pinning, patching and cleaning methods. The existing handrails were carefully removed, stripped, sanded and wire-wheeled, and repainted before being re-installed using the original mortise and tenon method. The paint treatments on the project were again held to the same standards of historical accuracy. Perhaps the greatest challenge on this project was the uncovering of a hidden brick arch under the portico steps. According to the original drawings, it was believed that the steps rested on loose rubble, but when the marble steps were removed an extravagant
archway was found below. Work was completed in the midst of an actively occupied University campus—the only access to the site was via brick paved walkways, making delivery coordination extremely important as acceptable routes had to be coordinated with Johns Hopkins Facilities Management, and materials had to be transported in a way that did not damage the walkways.

Lewis also compeleted renovations to Homewood Museum in 1965, 1975, 1977 and 1986.

Lewis Contractors completed this historical restoration of the landmark Mt. Vernon Washington Monument located in downtown Baltimore. Work on this 18-story monument included both comprehensive interior and exterior repairs and renovations. Restoration efforts included stone restoration and conservation, replication and the restoration of the original cast iron fence. Renovations included new roof terrace above the first floor (what has now become the new exhibition space), modifications to doors, frames and hardware, new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems throughout and security system wiring.

The base of the monument—lit in part by four restored skylights—is now a funtional exhibition space where visitors can use touch screens to learn facts about the monument, the nation’s first president and Mount Vernon Place Conservancy.

Original construction of the Mt. Vernon Washington Monument was completed in 1815—the monument is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lewis’ work was completed on schedule by July 4, 2015—the monument’s bicentennial anniversary celebration.

This design/build project involved the construction of a new 6,600 SF community / leadership training facility in Baltimore. New administrative/executive spaces were constructed at an existing non-profit organization’s main facility, while the remainder of the grounds were occupied. The above ground portion of the work is a barn structure, raised by contractors from Lancaster in the traditional fashion. The work includes new administrative areas, offices, support spaces, breakout rooms, and conference rooms.

This project for the Parks & People Foundation took place at Auchentoroly Terrace, near the Maryland Zoo, and consisted of two phases of work involving the restoration of the Druid Hill Park Superintendent’s House and the construction of the foundation’s new headquarters building.

Phase I: This phase included the 4,400 SF restoration and rehabilitation of the Superintendent of Druid Hill Park’s House—a historic structure that was twice the victim of arson in the past few decades—an award winning project that Lewis completed in early 2014.

Phase II: The second phase involved the construction of the 10,000 SF Sally & Butch Michel Center designed to accommodate children and adults, offering laboratory space for scientific research, environmental education, job training and career development. The center includes extensive landscaping so that the property may act as an outdoor laboratory space for natural resource management, including storm water and urban forestry demonstration areas.

The entire Parks & People Foundation campus project earned the USGBC’s highest green building certification of LEED Platinum.

The $5M Superintendent House Restoration was the first phase of this two phase project for the Parks and People Foundation that totaled over $8M combined. Work took place at Auchentoroly Terrace, near the Maryland Zoo, and involved the restoration of the 4,400 SF Druid Hill Park Superintendent’s House (phase 1) and the construction of the foundation’s new headquarters building (phase 2). The largest challenge on the project was overcoming the deterioration of the building and the instability of the structure. There had been two arson fires in the house and a tree had fallen on the back of the house—these misfortunes left very little roof structure to protect the house and, as a result, the front and back walls of the house were falling in, making it unsafe to enter the structure to start demolition. The Lewis team worked to remove the crumbling walls down to the first floor windows and then carefully rebuilt them—all the while keeping the stone in the same configuration as the original construction. The remaining exterior walls were supported in place with temporary shoring until the roof structure was eventually installed. The team also pursued LEED Platinum certification on this historic building; however, many items in the building, such as lack of perimeter insulation, slate roofing, and the species of wood necessary for the trim were detrimental in this LEED pursuit. Special attention had to be paid to other areas such as the mechanical and plumbing systems so that Lewis could maximize this building’s contribution to the overall project certification. The entire Parks & People Foundation campus project successfully earned the USBC’s highest green building certification of LEED Platinum.

Lewis Contractors served as Construction Manager-at-Risk providing preconstruction and construction services for a multi-phase historic restoration/renovation of the Port Discovery Children’s Museum, a nonprofit children’s museum located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

In Phase I, Lewis completed a complete roof replacement, upgraded the entry doors, and completed a thorough forensic investigation for a Building Envelope Restoration. Forensics concluded with an existing conditions report outlining a means and methods approach to masonry repointing and terra cotta restoration on the facade of the 106-year-old historic Fish Market building. This restoration work to the building’s exterior will be completed in Phase III. All work was been completed around the museum’s regularly scheduled operational hours with the facility remaining open to the public throughout construction.

In Phase II, Port Discovery underwent major reimagining—a renovation of the Sky Climber and Port Exhibit. The renovation included the replacement of aging capital equipment and upgrades/replacement of existing exhibits. This project addressed significant internal and external infrastructure issues, improved energy efficiency, improved safety, and improved the museum’s ability to effectively serve the patrons.

The project is currently nominated for a Buildy Award through Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums.

Lewis Contractors provided preconstruction services, inclusive of forensic work, for this comprehensive renovation and expansion project. Beans and Bread is a non-profit center in historic Fells Point dedicated to providing for Baltimore’s homeless and disadvantaged. The project involved a complete interior renovation, expansion and the restoration of the historic building’s exterior façade.

The project more than doubled the facility space and added critical services for people experiencing hunger, homelessness and poverty. New showers, laundry services and a new employment resource area were provided. The new facility allows Beans and Bread to bring the meal service line indoors, improve access for people with disabilities, provide adequate and appropriate office space for staff and partner agencies to better engage clients, and accommodate the growing Home Connections permanent housing program.

Also of note on the Beans and Bread project: Much like Gill Gym, soft soils caused by an underground stream required extensive forensics in preconstruction. These findings eventually lead to a redesign before work on the building’s existing foundation could begin. Heavy excavation and underpinning was required to support the new building addition.

Lewis served as CM on this multi-phase project involving three existing buildings on the Maryland School for the Blind campus: Newcomer, Case, and Campbell Halls. Phase I, the exterior restoration of historic Newcomer Hall is now complete.

Following Department of the Interior Guidelines and as approved by the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), the exterior facade of the c: 1910 masonry building underwent a complete restoration requiring elaborate construction scaffolding encasing the entire structures. Of special note on the exterior work is the careful restoration of extensive amounts of glazed Terra Cotta, used for cornices, fascias, finials, and other ornate detailing—most notably the 10 foot high representation of the Maryland State seal perched high on the building overlooking the main entrance. All exterior brickwork was washed by hand with pure water and repointed and the existing slate roofing was repaired and replaced in sections where necessary. Per MHT requirements, exterior windows were replaced with custom made single-pane wood windows to match original profiles, with exterior storm windows applied to the exterior for energy efficiency and longevity. The original Pennsylvania slate quarry that supplied the original building has long since shut down, but Lewis was able to obtain the last remaining pallets of an extremely close matching slate found in Ohio, enough for the current project with some remaining for the Owner’s future repair needs. All existing copper flashings and gutters and copper details such as an original copper roof hatch were replaced. The large copper roof vents, once used in an original and innovative steam-convection cooling system have been restored and now continue to serve the building by providing intake and exhaust air for the new mechanical systems.

This project was the last piece of a $104M Campus Wide Improvements program for which Lewis has served as CM on all phases.

Originally constructed in 1850 as the first home at Mount Vernon Place, 1 West Mt. Vernon Place remained continuously occupied until it was gifted to the Walters Art Museum in 1984. Lewis Contractors was hired to complete only the second major systems renovation—some of which helped to bring the mansion back to its former glory while working to protect the priceless art which will be housed within. By example, installation of the new water mist fire suppression system—one of the first of its kind completed in Maryland—and the Vespa early fire detection system are intentionally so unobtrusive that few will notice them. Because of the strict Maryland Historic Trust (MHT) oversight of this restoration, every sprinkler head or monitor had to be located on site with approved shop drawings providing only general locations for the materials. As 19th century structures were painted in lead based paint on all walls, ceilings and trim, every hole which was drilled into the building had to be completed using proper lead paint standards—i.e. under containment, by trained workmen in respirators and disposable clothing. Another major part of the renovation includes the rebuilt conservatory. Here all but the marble floor and roof structure had deteriorated to a point that it needed to be completely rebuilt, using as much salvaged material as possible and matching the historic construction with new materials. Thermal efficiencies have been magnified exponentially by this new installation. Other parts of the renovation include removal and repair, or replication of the historic cast iron antefix ornaments at both roofs; in situ renovation of the cast iron window pediments; removal and replacement of the storm windows; demo and installation of new roofs at the main house, bay window and conservatory; removal, refurbishment and reinstallation of the historic cast iron security grates and spandrel grilles; repairs to the chimneys; and removal, replacement, or renovation of the floor finishes.

In 1996, Lewis Contractors completed the headquarters for the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the United States. The project site was previously a dumping area for unsuitable soils, and, consequently, overcoming geotechnical issues was a high priority on the project. The building has a steel structure with a Roman brick pattern used at the building exterior. This type of veneer, used mainly during the turn of the century, is rarely used today due to the amount of care required in the coursing. If laid incorrectly, the human eye perceives a “wavy” pattern in the coursing. The finished product is a fine example of superior masonry craftsmanship. Natural cherry millwork was extensively used throughout the interior, and polished aluminum railing was used at the main entrance stair.

Lewis Contractors has been contracted by the York County History Center, formerly known as the York County Heritage Trust, for its new headquarters and museum. The project involves a renovation of the former Met-Ed building—once a steam heat generating plant—and the construction of a link addition that will bridge to the adjacent structure on the north east corner of West Philadelphia Street and North Pershing Avenue in downtown York, Pennsylvania. The newly created space will house a museum, library & archives which will consolidate two larger museums into one core exhibit and provide suitable space for borrowed exhibits, allowing for more frequent rotation of exhibits and artifacts.