Morabito Consultants provided structural engineering design services for an eight-story outpatient center for the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Located within a dense urban environment, the project required careful coordination with adjacent structures and existing site constraints, including integration with a neighboring parking garage and construction along tight property lines.
The structural system consists of composite steel floor framing supported by steel columns and deep foundation systems, with reinforced concrete basement and retaining wall construction. A pedestrian bridge connects the new building to the existing garage and cantilevers from the second-floor framing, requiring specialized structural analysis and detailing to ensure stability and performance. The building’s lateral system utilizes structural steel moment frames designed to resist wind and seismic loads while maintaining architectural flexibility.
Due to property line construction on multiple sides of the building, Morabito Consultants implemented innovative foundation and retaining wall solutions, including combined column footings and toe-only retaining wall footings to eliminate projection beyond the building footprint. The design also required coordination of deep foundation elements, basement wall construction sequencing, and integration with adjacent structures and utilities. Throughout the project, Morabito Consultants supported design revisions and program changes, including expansion to a full basement and additional building height, while maintaining project schedule and constructability.
These efforts resulted in a highly coordinated structural solution that meets the functional, spatial, and construction demands of a complex urban healthcare facility.