7 E. Redwood Street Baltimore, MD
Client:
Cushman and Wakefield
Managing Agent
City of Baltimore
Building Owner
Project Partner:
Structural Group
Features
- 20-story
- 153,000 sf
- Historic
- Commercial
- Façade Access Support Technicians
- CastaCotta™
A TerraCotta Rescue
Dominating the Baltimore skyline at the intersection of East Redwood and Light Streets stands the historic 7 East Redwood building. Built in 1924, this architectural gem houses office space for various local government entities. The building boasts a striking exterior of terracotta, brick, and limestone.
But by 2020, cracks were appearing in its façade. Chunks of the terracotta accent banding were taking a scenic route to the alleyway below, raising alarm bells for the city. Enter BECS, the city’s façade fixers. Our team of talented inspectors, the Façade Access Support Technicians (FAST) squad, were engaged for a building envelope assessment.
Over three days, our team rappelled down the building’s side, examining every inch of its distressed exterior. Our diagnosis? Immediate repair and stabilization needed to fix several unsafe conditions. The upper levels, especially the 19th-floor water table and cornice, were in critical condition. Crumbling terracotta, cracked mortar, and loose masonry were just the beginning of the building’s issues. We also uncovered hidden dangers behind the façade, like spalls in the terracotta near pipes, biological growth at water tables, and a web of worrying cracks. While past repair attempts were attempted, it was evident they had failed.
This was no ordinary makeover. BECS was called in to save the day – or rather, the building’s façade. Our mission: restore the building’s historic charm and keep the pedestrians below safe. It was a tightrope walk between preservation and protection. With overhead protection installed on Redwood and Light Street along with deploying a swing stage as our platform, the height of the building, fickle weather, and poor air quality made every day a new challenge.
Peeling back the building’s skin, our inspection uncovered that the 19th-floor terracotta was crumbling, unsupported and vulnerable to the elements. Faced with a tough choice – complete replacement or stabilization – we opted to preserve the building’s character by stabilizing the existing structure.
Concrete and steel were our initial plan, but COVID-related delays and a lengthy shop drawing forced us to rethink our strategy. Enter CastCotta™, a game-changing material that perfectly matched the original terracotta while offering superior strength and reduced weight.
Overcoming challenges like limited access and the building’s towering height required creativity and perseverance. We repurposed a vacant space for storage and optimized delivery schedules. Despite the building’s age and outdated building codes, we successfully transformed this architectural relic into a shining star of Baltimore.
