Axios Twin Cities: Southdale Mall’s $400 million makeover on display.
Photo: Nick Halter/Axios
Categories
Author: arirsnbrg
Categories
Southdale Luxury Wing Opens
The Edina mall's gleaming new wing will open to the public with David Yurman as its first store, and seven designer brands to come.
The new entrance to Southdale’s luxury wing off 69th Street in Edina.
Building Community, Creating Impact:
At JP2 Architects, we design with purpose - addressing local needs, fostering connections, and delivering projects that enrich lives and transform neighborhoods.
Featured Project
The Service Center
Where Purpose, Design, and Community Converge
View @North Howard Street
All Photography By: Vivian Doering Copyright 2025
Categories
JP2 Architects – Bolstering Growth
JP2 Architects - Bolstering Growth Rooted in Community-Based Design
Categories
Featured Project: Hope Lodge
Building Community, Creating Impact:
At JP2 Architects, we design with purpose - addressing local needs, fostering connections, and delivering projects that enrich lives and transform neighborhoods.
Featured Project
American Cancer Society Hope Lodge
LOUNGE AND DINING SPACES
SHARED KITCHEN AND OUTSIDE COURTYARD
All Renderings by JP2 Architects, LLC, Copyright 2025
Categories
Exciting News!
Building Community, Creating Impact:
At JP2 Architects, we design with purpose - addressing local needs, fostering connections, and delivering projects that enrich lives and transform neighborhoods.
Featured Project
Southern Streams
The Southern Streams Health and Wellness Center is a project that elevates the surrounding community by providing much needed services and amenities to enhance the lives of the people in the neighborhood. The MHTC Development Corporation-led development is a 5-story, 123,000 sf health and wellness center that will serve the Broadway East Neighborhood of Baltimore. The project features services from Johns Hopkins, CareFirst, Alterwood Health of LifeBridge, Quality Pharmacy, the Jack Dwyer Workforce Group, whose mission is to provide comprehensive support to individuals who aspire to pursue a career in the healthcare industry, and the headquarters for Mary Harvin Transformation Center Community Development. The Center will be more than just “bricks and mortar” to the area; it is the centerpiece of a masterplan that represents hope and healing for a neighborhood that has seen its share of hardships in recent years.
Categories
Promotions Announcement 2025
These promotions are not only a testament to the remarkable achievements of Tenille, Rob, and Vicki but also reflect JP2 Architects’ dedication to fostering talent, innovation, and leadership as we continue to build a firm that shapes thriving communities and leaves a lasting impact.
We look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead as we continue our commitment to design excellence. Please join us in celebrating these well-earned recognitions!
Long Reach Stonehouse Community Association &
Columbia Art Center
Operated by the Columbia Association, the Long Reach Stonehouse Community Association & Columbia Art Center combines a facility for artistic and educational experiences, with a complex for hosting community services and events.
JP2 was commissioned to renovate portions of the building to include a new entry lobby and elevator providing full ADA access to both levels. The scope of the renovation work was driven by stakeholder interviews and the new interior upgrades will give the center a vibrant new look as well as improved access.
Historic Oakland Manor
Located in the heart of downtown Columbia, Historic Oakland Manor is a house that was built in the early nineteenth century and is used as a venue for weddings, meetings and other special events. The manor includes a ballroom, meeting rooms, a library and offices and is surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds. In order to improve the appeal and the functionality of the building, JP2 is adding an ADA compliant elevator that will serve all levels. Additionally, an overhaul of the mechanical systems will ensure the comfort of guests and employees.
Bark Social
Adjacent to Merriweather District, the new location for the Bark Social enterprise offers 25,000 SF of indoor/outdoor space planned for dogs and dog lovers to interact. The design embraces the playful spirit of a dog park and incorporates vibrant colors throughout including a custom mural by a local artist. The project creates a haven where dogs and their owners can unwind and enjoy a refreshment.
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Originally designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry in the 1960s, Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of the highest rated amphitheaters in the United States hosting a variety of local, regional and international performers. JP2 was engaged to provide a multi-phase, multi-year renovation of the aging facility. This included newly constructed restrooms and concessions stands, stage and seating upgrades, back of house amenities, and office spaces. As this is an active concert venue, JP2 worked closely with the operator and the contractor to implement different phases in the off season between October and April.
Mount Villa Apartments at Turf Valley
Mount Villa Apartments is a remarkable multi-building community within Ellicott City's Turf Valley Resort complex. The masterplan was developed by JP2 Architects and features 192 elegant one and two-bedroom apartments, with both on-grade and enclosed parking options, complete with EV Parking stations. The site includes a standalone Clubhouse with the leasing office, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a community great room with a display kitchen and fireplace, and dog wash amenities. Residents will be able to enjoy pristine walking paths, and convenient access to shopping, dining, and entertainment, all within a serene resort setting. The first apartment building with 32 units was fully leased shortly after its completion. The Clubhouse and second building, with 40 additional units, are set to open this fall, with the remaining buildings to follow in the months ahead. The apartments offer picturesque views of Turf Valley's championship golf courses - a perfect blend of luxury and convenience.
Merriweather District
The Merriweather District is a vibrant live/work community on a 68 acre piece of land in Downtown Columbia. Located adjacent to the Merriweather Post Pavilion performance venue, the project encompasses a full build out with over 750 residential units, approximately 1.2 million square feet of office and 185,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurants on 22 acres. Project components are centered around an active public park that will act as the district’s center for activities including concerts, outdoor dining, ice skating, and other civic programming. Paths and walkways tie the area together and connect to other areas of Downtown Columbia, including a natural conservation area.
Busboys and Poets
Busboys And Poets in Downtown Columbia is a two-story 7,000 sf restaurant and bookstore in Columbia, MD. The nearly 400 seat location is founder and CEO Andy Shallal’s 8th and largest location. The shell building, also designed by JP2, provides a second floor terrace that can be activated with outdoor seating that overlooks Color Burst Park at Merriweather District, a park that provides year round activities for the community. In addition, the restaurant is adjacent to Merriweather Post Pavilion, offering patrons a space to mingle and relax before and after shows. The restaurant’s interior was designed to embrace the eclectic and unique atmosphere that Busboys And Poets is known for. Creating a space where community could be cultivated was imperative, and the JP2 team worked closely with Shallal to achieve this. The interior spaces include a bookstore, several dining areas , two bars, one at each floor, a private dining room, and room for private events, reading, open mic nights, and other programing.
Categories
Promoting from Within
Dana Tharrett, Senior Associate to join the Management Committee.
Phil James, promoted to Senior Associate.
Jill Burch, promoted to Senior Associate.
Hanifah Nakalembe, promoted to Associate.
We'd also like to welcome back Melissa Johnson. Melissa interned with us over the summer, and we are pleased to have her back on the team as a fulltime staff member.
Categories
Adding More Talent
Ruoxi Xie
Ruoxi (Rosie) joins the firm as an architectural staff member after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University. Her academic journey began at Tongji University in Shanghai, China, where she earned a Bachelor of Architecture. Continuing her education, she pursued a master’s degree in Urban Design, and received a Notable Project mention in the 2023 ULI Hines Student Urban Design Competition. Ruoxi’s graduate thesis focused on architectural renovation and community participatory design in the Lilong community in Shanghai. She’s dedicated to obtaining her LEED credentials and is passionate about community engagement and sustainable studies. During her spare time, she enjoys pursuing her interests in photography, exhibition curation, and exploring new destinations through travel.
Lauren Conte
Lauren joins the firm as Director of Finance and Human Resources. She brings 6 years of project accounting experience from an Architecture/ Engineering firm. She holds a MAcc (Master of Accounting) from Loyola University Maryland. In her free time she enjoys bouldering, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and traveling to as many countries as she can.
Marco Zappala
Marco joins JP2 Architects as an architectural staff member with 3 years of full-time office experience. In his previous job he worked on single family homes, historic preservation work, and various commercial projects. Marco is a recent graduate of the SUNY College of Technology at Alfred where he received his Bachelor of Architecture degree (BArch). Previously, he graduated from Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY, with associate's degree in Applied Science. Marco continues to work hard to prepare for the Architectural Registration Examination. In his free time he enjoys weight lifting, running, and playing/watching basketball.
Adriele Graham
Adriele joins the firm as an interior designer with over 13 years of experience in residential remodels, custom homes, and model homes. She holds a BFA in interior design & fine arts with a minor in art history from The George Washington University. Adriele is pursuing her NCIDQ license as well as LEED certification. In her spare time she enjoys water color painting, flipping furniture, enjoying nature, and spending time with her family.
Staff Updates
Pau Cin joined the firm fulltime after his graduation from Morgan State University with a B.S. in Architecture.
Humam Al Qadhi recently celebrated one year at JP2 after graduating from University of Maryland College Park with a B.S. in Architecture.
Melissa Johnson joined the firm this summer as an architectural intern from the University of Maryland College Park.
Pau Cin joined the firm fulltime after his graduation from Morgan State University with a B.S. in Architecture.
Humam Al Qadhi recently celebrated one year at JP2 after graduating from University of Maryland College Park with a B.S. in Architecture.
Melissa Johnson joined the firm this summer as an architectural intern from the University of Maryland College Park.
Hickory Flats is a multi-family residential project featuring 100 apartment units,
two courtyards, and a multitude of amenities, including a large
club room, an outdoor dining patio, and an oversized hot tub for residents to enjoy.
One of the most active sectors in commercial development is multifamily residential construction. Projects of varying density are being built, not just in urban areas but also in the suburbs as the need for housing increases, particularly for young professionals. Most of these projects are four or five story stud framed construction over a concrete podium that is used for other commercial purposes such as retail or parking.
Particularly in urban projects, the residential is often employed as a “wrapper” around a multi-story parking structure to be used by residents as well as other nearby commercial enterprises, sometimes referred to as a “Texas donut”. Another common configuration is also a donut with a common courtyard in the middle providing daylight to the interior units and an amenity to be shared by the tenants. The courtyard may include a pool or simply landscape, lawn, seating, trellis structures and grilles for cookouts.
Other typical amenities include the more traditional common rooms with lounge seating and multiple screens, exercise rooms, and rooftop terraces. In the era of work-from-home, we have incorporated conference rooms and smaller individual pods for video meetings. Also, with many residents having dogs, there are more pet amenities being included in the overall leasing strategy.
There are many parameters that dictate the unit mix but most of the projects that JP2 has worked on lean heavily towards, one-bedroom and junior one-bedroom with a share of two-bedroom units. In urban projects there are typically a few more studio apartments. Apartment sizes in general are getting smaller as developers push for greater efficiency and architects have learned what is essential for a comfortable living environment.
The development at 3511 and 3535 Clipper Road will provide attractive and high efficiency housing solutions within a vibrant, eclectic community.
Mount Villa consists of over 180 units spread across five apartment buildings. A clubhouse will house the leasing office, fitness center, entertainment room, and a host of other amenities.
Service Center, a redevelopment and expansion of a former automotive service center, will house 64 residential units.
Located in Largo, MD, this apartment complex is directly adjacent to a Washington, DC metro stop. This approximately 380 unit multifamily building is the second phase of a much larger community. Residents enjoy easy access to public transportation and a wide array of amenities, like an inground pool, covered parking, lobby café, fitness center, and entertainment.
The Belmont Park mixed use masterplan includes retail, restaurants, entertainment venues, office, hotel and residential, centered around the existing train station. The development proposes to extend the train station to a year-round commuter stop with 3 new residential towers above the existing platform
Transit oriented development (TOD) is a term used by urban planners starting in the 1980s to describe projects developed around a mass transit hub: suburban commuter train stations, subway or bus terminals. TODs typically occurred in cities with established mass transit systems of multi layered transportation networks.
Often, these projects included a residential component that appealed to office workers who didn’t want to lose time sitting in traffic commuting to jobs in the city. Other services were then required to support a lifestyle that was pedestrian friendly and had limited dependence on the automobile. Over time TODs became more than points of origin for commuting, they grew into multi-use destinations in their own right as well as connections to other retail, entertainment, restaurant and cultural destinations within the city.
JP2 has decades of experience in Urban Design and Master Planning of mixed-use transit-oriented design projects. We have worked on numerous developments that incorporate some form of mass transit with walkable, interdependent uses. Our process begins with extensive research into existing transportation systems and adjacent developments to understand the impact of the proposed development on the community and to identify the proper program elements needed to enhance the neighborhood. Working with all stakeholders, we develop a number of schemes that address the key components of the program and integrate them into a set of cohesive and practical solutions. These schemes are then tested against the established goal of creating a vibrant place for people to live, work, and play in a sustainable environment with easy access to established transportation systems.
Dorsey Station is a master plan for a community built around an existing MDOT train station, located in Elkridge, MD. JP2's plan builds a thriving community, including housing, retail, and dining options.
The proposed TOD at Lutherville Station reinforces the existing adjacent development by providing additional residential options, Class-A office, and community green spaces.
The development at 3511 and 3535 Clipper Road will provide an attractive and safe, transit-oriented housing solution within a vibrant, eclectic community and reinforce the City of Baltimore’s desire to develop land that encourages community development around existing transit networks. The proposed residential buildings are a short stroll to the Woodberry light rail station.
Amore Apollo, a mixed-use, retail, and apartment building in Largo, MD, is located on a major metro route, providing residents with quick access to Washington, DC and the surrounding areas.
As an extension of the existing Westport community, JP2's masterplan adds multiple residential offerings, water-front parks, and retail and office space in order to create a vibrant work, live, play community where residents and citizens can enjoy city living. The emphasis of this plan is to connect with the surrounding neighborhoods and provide public spaces that support the art of gathering for recreation, commerce, living, boating, and convening with nature.
As a part of the overall Hunt Valley Town Centre development located at the north terminus of the light rail, this proposed enhancement adds additional retail and dining, office and a feature hotel, all centered around a new green space to be activated throughout the year with multiple programmed events.
JP2 is pleased to be working with Greenberg Gibbons on their new 14,000 sf headquarters located in 40Ten Boston - Baltimore’s first mass timber building. The entry feature wall, themed huddle rooms, and murals incorporate the Greenberg Gibbons brand throughout. The plan considered social and focus spaces related to acoustics; the parti provides for a centralized social café area adjacent to the large conference room, while the central lobby hub provides a buffer between the executive suite and the departments on plan north. Cozy workstations adjacent to windows and inboard glazed private offices create an open and lofty experience and views of the city.
JP2's work on Service Center, a redevelopment and expansion of a former automotive service center site in Baltimore, will provide 64 apartments for community-minded residents above two stories of office and retail space. This six-story, 80,000sf project will help further enliven the N Howard Street corridor with tenants supporting local venues and the greater Remington area. Breaking ground soon!
JP2 has been commissioned to fully renovate the Stonehouse, a two-story facility that hosts community services and events, and Art Center, which provides artistic and educational experiences. The scope of this work will include a new entry lobby and elevator to provide full ADA access to both the art center and community center. All new interior upgrades will give the center a vibrant new appeal for the community.
Categories
JP2 recognized
JP2 recognized as an important business for Baltimore.
At the heart of Baltimore’s evolving skyline stands JP2 Architects, a visionary architecture firm shaping spaces where people live, work, and connect. With a commitment to innovative design and community-centered development, JP2 has become a trusted name in urban revitalization, commercial design, and transformative placemaking.
From reimagining historic landmarks to designing cutting-edge mixed-use developments, JP2’s work reflects a deep understanding of context, culture, and sustainability. Their portfolio spans local gems and national projects, always with a focus on enhancing the human experience through thoughtful design.
Architecture isn’t just about buildings—it’s about building better cities. JP2 is proud to contribute to Baltimore’s growth while making a lasting impact across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond.