Anne Arundel Community College, Hospitality, Culinary Arts & Tourism Institute

Glen Burnie, Maryland

Firm

Bignell Watkins Hasser Architects

Client

Anne Arundel Community College

Area

8,671 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$1,600,000

Completion Date

08/2001

Anne Arundel Community College’s Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Tourism (HCAT) Institute endeavored to build a modern teaching facility. As part of its overall approach to integrate the college into the community, an existing retail space in the county was selected as the location.
The design team chose to create a hotel atmosphere for the students. Because the appearance of the building’s exterior would not be altered, the design team emphasized the lobby, gallery corridor and kitchen. The hotel effect was achieved by using polyurethane-impregnated wood floors, wood moldings, crafted ceilings and upgraded lighting fixtures, which rarely are found in college classroom buildings.
The kitchen is a single work space that is subdivided into four distinct areas dedicated to different styles of cooking. It was designed to allow for the rearrangement of equipment where certified cooking competitions take place. The project also includes four classroom spaces, two of which can be opened into a single large dining area so that food prepared in the kitchen can be served to the students in a restaurant setting.