Humanim – The American Brewery Project
Situated in the heart of Baltimore City, this historic landmark was built in 1887 and operated as the “American Brewery,” one of the largest breweries in Maryland. The building was modernized in 1931 after the brewery was sold to the “American Malt Company” but had not been occupied since 1973. In 2007, Columbia, MD based non-profit organization Humanim, decided to embark on an ambitious redevelopment plan that would serve as their Baltimore headquarters. The company provides workforce education and development to people with barriers to employment.
The Challenge
To integrate 21st-century technology into a one-hundred and twenty-year-old structure. We had to work around the original equipment, and virtually every room was surrounded by large windows. To preserve the historical integrity, window shades and even temporary shading solutions were not permitted.
The Result
HS Tech Group incorporated a variety of audio and video components that blended into the space where it was installed. We positioned drop down screens for presentations and selected projectors that were designed to perform well when a large degree of ambient light was present. Our technicians were also careful when mounting the flat screen tvs to the building’s original brick walls. Since many of the rooms were home to some of the original brewer’s equipment, we decided to use circular speakers that reduced the amount required to provide ample sound, and they were acoustically forgiving where sound would be easily reflected.
