Sojourner Place at Oliver

Two engineering challenges ignited Moseley's design for the Oliver neighborhood site: an underground train tunnel limiting foundation options and a triangular plot requiring exact massing calculations. These constraints sparked architectural solutions that shaped the building while expanding housing access in East Baltimore.

Historical Context and Social Impact

Isabella Bomfree, who renamed herself Sojourner Truth after escaping slavery, inspires the project's name and mission. East Baltimore sheltered free Black people five decades before the Emancipation Proclamation, with residents like Frederick Douglass and Isaac Myers rising to national prominence. After discriminatory housing policies and redlining constricted neighborhood growth, community stakeholders and future residents helped shape spaces that honor this history while meeting current needs.

Program and Residents

The residential program includes 37 one-bedroom, 18 two-bedroom, and 15 three-bedroom apartments spanning 640 to 1,100 square feet. Furnished units house individuals moving from homelessness, while additional apartments serve residents earning 50 percent below the area's median income.

Each unit features dedicated laundry facilities and fully equipped kitchens with Energy Star appliances. Support services offices adjacent to the ground-floor lobby provide direct access to social workers and housing coordinators. The floor plan positions apartment entries to face each other across hallways, creating opportunities for neighbor connections and mutual support.

Common spaces on the first floor include a multipurpose room for community gatherings and educational programs, while a second-floor fitness studio reduces structural requirements by minimizing suspended weight loads. A library with individual study areas and a game room encourage social interaction. The rooftop terrace, with its wood decking and integrated seating, offers views of downtown Baltimore and creates opportunities for outdoor recreation and community gatherings.

Engineering Systems at Work

Technical requirements determined the building's profile. Load calculations from the underground tunnel dictated a wood-frame construction approach, minimizing steel use except for the signature cantilevered entry. The main structure rises four stories before stepping down to three, using standard wood dimensions to cut material waste while matching the scale of historic row houses nearby.

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Silver NGBS Green Certification required precise technical implementation. Variable refrigerant flow heat pumps power the all-electric building's HVAC and water heating. Energy Star-rated windows with low-E coating balance solar heat gain and thermal comfort. The roof structure and electrical systems await future photovoltaic arrays, preparing for expanded renewable energy use.

The stormwater design pulls double duty: three micro-bioretention areas process 97 percent of site rainfall while creating green space. This system cuts downstream flooding risk in the Jones Falls watershed by 62 percent during 100-year storms. Water-sense certified fixtures trim usage 20 percent below baseline levels.

Landscape elements serve multiple roles: fifty trees capture 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly while their shade reduces cooling demands. Native plants thrive without irrigation and attract local wildlife. Inside, floor-score certified resilient flooring and low-VOC materials enhance air quality.

Community-Centered Design

Location maximizes accessibility—scoring 73 for walkability and 86 for transit access reduces transportation barriers. Strategically placed bike storage and racks complement local bike lanes.

Resident input refined interior spaces. Sound isolation between units surpasses code standards. Hard-surface flooring throughout protects residents with allergies. Common areas serve specific functions: a fitness studio with dedicated workout zones, a library incorporating study alcoves, a multipurpose room for varied activities, and a rooftop terrace capturing city views.

Advancing Housing Design

Sojourner Place at Oliver demonstrates how affordable housing can blend sophisticated building systems with community priorities. Its solutions to site restrictions, sustainability goals, and social needs inform urban development practices. The Urban Land Institute and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development study the project's approach to permanent supportive housing.

By combining technical precision with community voices, Sojourner Place at Oliver raises standards for housing equity in historically underserved neighborhoods.

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