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Baltimore Design School Baltimore Design School, also referred to as BDS is a newly developed public middle-high school that has narrowed its focus on design. It is located in northeast Baltimore, Maryland. The middle school curriculum focuses on art developmental skills along with computer and technology advances. The high school curriculum includes programs for architecture, graphic design, and fashion design. Baltimore design school is initially handles enrollment much like a public school for grades 6 through 8. As a child progresses, the high school’s admission process is both competitive and selective. Applicants seeking admission to the Baltimore Design School in Baltimore City, and the surrounding metropolitan are accessed by a mixture of test scores, prior academia records and their artistic portfolios. BDS began in the fall of 2011 by admitting 6th and 7th graders and will continue with a new population of eager 6th graders each year, so that by 2016 the school will have a complete student body of 6th to 12th graders. The “Urban Land Institute” Baltimore District Council has recognized the Baltimore Design School by honoring it with the 2013 WaveMaker Award. In addition to this, in 2013, BDS has been awarded with Preservation Maryland President’s award for remarkable leadership and commitment. In 2014, the Baltimore School of Design was awarded the Honor Award- AIA Maryland, the MEDA Award, Economic Redevelopment Project, the AIA/CAE Educational Facility Design Award, the Inform Award Interiors Award, the CEFPI School Planning & Architecture Award, the Architizer A+ Awards Finalist, and the Baltimore Heritage Preservation Award. Cofounded in 2013, by Baltimore state Senate, Cathrine Pugh and Fred Lazarus, president of the well known Maryland Institute College of Art has the longest waiting list in Baltimore City. The school is established on an old Lebow Clothing Factory. The building is 120,000 square feet, which include art galleries, studios, runways, newer technological computer labs, up to date classrooms, and fabrication facilities. Baltimore Design School has thus far created an open, and articulate learning environment for the potential expected 625 students. Upon successful completion of the school’s academic goals, BDS believes there student graduates will be leading designers and architects. Along with a knack for problem solving, analytical thinking, and living a rejuvenating life adventure.

History
After nearly 100 years of history, and 32 years of abandonment, the Lebow Bros clothing factory was able to bring light to a community again, reincarnated as a public middle and high school, formerly known as the Baltimore Design School. The Baltimore Design School has served as a historic reuse project for architect Steve Ziger and his firm Ziger/Snead. Ziger believes that reusing the building and savoring some of the original details helps to promote a lesson about the “power of design” and “by extension, a community”. Tracing a long heritage back of the school site was not only worth it, but necessary in order to complete the vision. After all, Ziger writes, “This is a building that was definitely a blight on this neighborhood”.

The Baltimore design school though just surfacing, building grounds are dated back to 1915. Initially, taking the form of a warehouse owned by Crown Cork and Seal Company, who also is the inventor of the bottle cap, the original building served as a machine shop to the community. It was designed by an architect that went by the name of Otto G. Simonson. Simonson who was born in Dresden, Germany immigrated to Hartford Connecticut at the age of 21, and eventually became the superintendent of construction of public buildings. His original creation of the machine shop featured a plethora of glass expansion, meaning that 75% of the exterior façade was made up of windows. Alongside Simonson was Herbert West, the builder. West was relocated in Baltimore to help build fireproof buildings after the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. Through the mist of building the machine shop, he became the president of the Building Congress and Exchange of Baltimore. Eventually, in the 1950 however, the machine shop was leased to Lebow Brother Clothing Company. By 1970, the Lebow brothers had a successfully driven factory specializing in n men’s suits and coats. By 1982, Abraham Zion, a private developer at the time acquired both, the company and the building. Subsequently, in turn results in the business going to turmoil in 1985. In fact, Ziger mentions that when his team walked into the long time abandoned building, that there were coffee cups lying on the ruined tables as if all the workers were out to lunch and never came back. Over thirty years later, in 2012 the abandoned building was physically manifested to be the Baltimore School of Design. The creation of this newly renovated school, was authorized by the Baltimore City Council in early 2010. In August 2013, Southway Builders Inc., worked as the project’s coordinator. Accordingly, Ziger and his desing team got to work, extremely enthusiastic about keeping the original design in mind with a variety of new windows. These windows, accompanied with 17ft ceilings helped to provide a lot of natural light to the school, expanding on a quality use for the daylight. Twenty five million dollars later in budget the school as we now know it was born.

Academics
The Baltimore Design School differs from any other public schools, as it does not follow the traditional learning track. This is to say that the school’s design is intentionally providing open space for students to showcase their talents and to have an exhibition. For another 20 years, BDS will be able to have a separate educational system due to their contract they signed where the school system does not take over the facility for 20 years. With so much freedom, there philosophy is as written below. “The Baltimore Design School believes that all students, with good instruction and practice, can learn art and design skills, and achieve high standards in their academic program. We value student interests in drawing, making things, fashion ideas, creative problem-solving, three-dimensional ability, planning and building, and communicating visually through graphics. We love students who see problems that need new solutions, who envision possibilities, and imagine a better world.” Embodying this educational philosophy, both the middle school and the high school follow separate programs. The middle school program is designed for students to develop skills in three different areas of expertise. The first, is on a two dimensional scale, where they focus on drawing, painting, and 2 dimensional pieces. The second is on a three dimensional scale, where they develop skills in construction, building and three dimensional designs. The last of the skill sets they focus on is technology. They want the students to be information literate by viewing and comprehending multi- media technology and using different computer programs to create design. On a more elaborate teaching system, the high school focuses on three different programs. The first of those programs are The Architecture Program with interior and landscape design. This program helps students to learn how to draw free hand, create different computer aid and building designs, and present plans to important competitors. In these presentations, the students are expected to produce conceptual models, plans, axonometric and perspective drawings. The second program offered is the graphic design program with web and gaming design. In this program, students use iMac computers to come up with solutions to problems that include the use of logos, posters and branding packages. The last of the academic programs offered at the high school level is the Fashion Design Program. The fashion design program includes studying new trends in the industry along with pattern making, draping, tailoring, etc.. the students definitely will be future world changers. Because the academics are so enriching the design and architecture of the campus can only compliments its academic programs.

Campus
Housed from what was an abandoned factory that has been transformed into a state-of-the-art educational facility in the station North Arts and Entertainment District. After renovations, the building gives students a collaborative and educational environment with art galleries, studios, classrooms, media center, fabrication facilities, computer labs, and runways. The former loading dock will become an outdoor performance space for fashion shows, while restoring dress forms and sewing machines from the Lebow factory will become an exhibition honoring the building’s previous life. A cyber cafe will provide a blank slate for architecture students to design their own space every academic year. “This school is about design thinking,” says architect Steve Ziger. “It’s about empowering students to see that they can participate in and change their environment.” Ziger says BDS hopes to become a place for training future designers as well as an anchor in the neighborhood.

Extra-curricular and clubs
The Baltimore Design School consists of the Chess club and National junior Arts Honor Society. The school has a renowned club for Honor Roll students. They meet to help the community using their artistic abilities. The schools extracurricular activities also consist of the dance and CHARM club. The CHARM club is for students interested in creative writing and personal expression, and the Curatorial club is where students discuss art shows they would like to curate at BDS or potentially other locations. Students focus on developing show themes, writing, and presentation styles and interview various artists and curators in the Baltimore area. Programs offered to the middle school is designed to build skills in three areas: two-dimensional skills including drawing, painting, and 2-D design; three-dimensional skills in constructing, building, and 3-D design; and multi-media technology learning how to use computer programs to create design. Students have the opportunity to apply these skills to projects in fashion design, architecture, and graphic design. Programs offered to high school students are, The Architecture Program, which includes Interior and Landscape Design. Students learn freehand drawing, model building, and computer-aided design (CAD), and presentation techniques for juried competitions. The Graphic Design Program includes web design and gaming design. Students work on iMac computers to produce graphic solutions to problems including logos, branding packages, posters, billboards, signage, packaging, web launches and gaming initiatives. The Fashion Design Program includes pattern making, draping, tailoring, textile investigation, fine detailing, makeup, and new accessories for functional clothing, high-design and art-to-wear.

PUBLICATIONS AND AWARDS
The Baltimore Design School has been very highly credited but is not as known as other Design Schools in the United States. Some awards include Architectural Awards such as

Honor Award, AIA Maryland 2014 MEDA Award, Economic Redevelopment Project, 2014 AIA/CAE Educational Facility Design Award, 2014 Inform Award Interiors Award, 2014 CEFPI School Planning & Architecture Award, 2014 Architizer A+ Awards Finalist, 2014 Baltimore Heritage Preservation Award, 2014 ULI Wavemaker Award, 2013 Preservation Maryland President’s Award, 2013

As far as publications go there are several to choose from “2014 Inform Awards,” Editor Douglas Gordan, Inform, May 2014 “Learning by Design: Baltimore Design School,” David Robert Weible, Preservation, April 2014 “Learning by Design,” Sharon McHugh, Architectural Record, January 2014 “How Architects Turned This Former Set From “The Wire” Into A Training Ground For Tomorrow’s Designers,” Marianne Amoss, Fast Company, November, 2013 “Baltimore Design School Paves Way for Next Generation,” Jonathan Basla, Interior Design Magazine, November 2013 “Foundation for Change,” Baltimore Style Magazine December 2012 “For These Baltimore Students, It’s D.I.Y. School Building,” The Atlantic Cities, January 2012 “Education by Design,” Baltimore Magazine, November 2011

Jonathan Basla wrote a publication stating facts on the history and present of the building. He wrote “The Baltimore Design School is the only U.S. public design school combining middle and high school students focusing on fashion design, architecture and graphic design. The school's $26.85 million, 110,000-square-foot building renovated and expanded by Ziger/Snead Architects embodies the vision of Maryland State Senator Catherine Pugh, who first dreamed of a fashion design high school 10 years ago”.