2. We are...
A Design Firm.
GWWO, Inc./Architects is an award-winning
architectural practice focused on design excellence.
We specialize in providing services for cultural and
educational facilities with an emphasis on design that
is both evocative and inspirational. Our experience
spans more than forty years and includes projects
throughout the United States and its territories.
Mid-Sized By Intention
Our size supports a hands-on approach in which senior
staff members are deeply involved in client service and
project management. There is no “B” team at GWWO.
All projects—large and small—are afforded the same
level of attention and creativity.
Driven By Client Satisfaction
Our approach enables us to cultivate and maintain
enduring relationships; we have worked with many of
the institutions and organizations that we serve for a
decade or more. We partner with our clients to achieve
personalized, responsive results.
3. Philosophy.
GWWO Believes...
Our philosophy of design is rooted in the quote on the left. We
believe that historical experience provides the rational basis for
design decisions. This experience has two components: aesthetic and
functional. Aesthetic principles, such as proportion, massing, rhythm
and balance, have evolved from ancient times. To be successful,
architecture must integrate both realms. Aesthetics and function must
unite, each informing and celebrating the other, to create structures that
work for the users—in form and function. While these principles are
founded in history, they can be projected forward as well.
Contextual Design Approach
To implement this philosophy, GWWO believes in and fosters
“contextual” design. To us, successful architecture is a response to the
Program, the specific site Place and the users of the facility People .
We believe that the best design solutions emerge from the context and
that using the clues held within the specific site and program associated
with any building will lead to the most appropriate and satisfying
solution. Our buildings are therefore designed to be responsive to
the site and respectful of the land. Furthermore, we believe that our
buildings must integrate our client’s mission and goals into their
expression. Thus, as no two clients, no two sites and no two programs
are identical; no two buildings designed by GWWO are alike.
4. Team.
Alan E. Reed Terry SquyresPaul L. Hume David G. WrightMark A. LaPointe
Overview.
GWWO recognizes that
our people are our best
assets. We are privileged
to have an exceptional
staff of intelligent,
curious, imaginative, and
hard-working individuals
with diverse backgrounds
and experiences.
5. What We Do... Museums Interpretive Arts & Theater K-12 Higher Education
Comprehensive Approach.
GWWO offers services to assist clients
from the first conceptual stages of
development through final design and
construction. Our services, which are
tailored to the individual needs of each
client, include:
• New Construction, Addition,
Renovation & Adaptive Reuse Design
• Space Planning and Programming
• Master Planning
• Interior Design
• Site Selection Studies
• Facility Assessments
• Feasibility Studies
• Sustainable Design
• Historic Preservation
• Preparation of Fundraising Materials
• Construction Administration
• Post-Construction Services
6. Museums.
From design for grand public
spaces to the equally important
“back scenes” and support areas,
GWWO understands the challenges
facing museum facilities today.
Our projects engage visitors and
enhance their experience of the
art and artifacts, while providing
improved working environments for
curators, registrars, administrators
and support staff. We design
to AAM standards for all types
of collections, audiences and
experiences.
7. Interpretive Centers.
GWWO’s interpretive facilities
unite form and function, structure
and site, to embody each client’s
message. Our architectural
response grows from the site’s
context and the story being told,
and our work fully integrates with
the efforts of the exhibit planners
and landscape designers to create
a seamless visitor experience.
Our experience focuses on
facilities within sensitive
contexts—natural, historical,
cultural—and our design solutions
are responsive, inspirational and
sustainable.
8. Nature Centers.
GWWO’s nature centers keep the
focus on nature. We design to
minimize impact on the building
site and to maximize each
visitor’s experience of the natural
environment. Our work fully
integrates with the efforts of exhibit
planners and landscape designers
to create an immersive visitor
experience, while our integration of
sustainable features that also serve
as learning tools maximizes the
effects of our green design efforts.
9. Arts & Theater.
GWWO’s designs for art and
theater spaces focus on the
creative experience and embracing
and expressing that experience
through architecture. From large
performance venues, to intimate
recital halls, to studios and
classrooms, we put the arts center
stage.
Our facilities support the creative
process without overpowering what
should truly be the focus—the work
created within.
10. K-12 Education.
Ongoing research in educational
approaches indicates how integral
the learning environment is to the
learning process. GWWO designs to
be part of that learning process.
Our educational projects—for
primary and secondary level
facilities, as well as special
education centers—focus on serving
the academic, cultural and social
needs of students, while satisfying
the financial and scheduling
requirements of the client.
11. Higher Education.
GWWO understands that quality
facilities greatly influence an
institution’s ability to attract
and retain students and high
caliber faculty. Through design,
we strive to enhance the campus
environment and overall educational
experience for students, faculty and
administrators alike.
Our work focuses on the campus
context, contributing to a unified
environment, and our projects blend
traditional academic elements with
advanced technologies in facilities
that stand the test of time.
12. Design For Life Long Learning.
800 Wyman Park Drive ste. 300 Baltimore MD, 21211
410.332.1009 www.GWWOinc.com
