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
Baltimore is a city defined by its neighborhoods—each one rooted in rich history, grit, creativity, and community pride. At the crossroads of two such neighborhoods, a bold new project is reimagining what development can mean when architecture meets social investment.
The Service Center Baltimore, located in Remington is the brainchild of Seawall, the mission-driven developer renowned for creating places that empower people, nurture ideas, and strengthen communities.
At first glance, The Service Center stands as a striking new addition integrate into the urban landscape—a purpose-built, 80,000-square-foot facility filled with natural light and modern design.
Look closer, and it becomes clear: this is much more than just real estate.
With dynamic office spaces designed for mission-driven organizations and thoughtfully integrated housing, the Service Center is a community hub built from the ground up to serve, support, and uplift.
The housing component features design-forward, attainable apartments that prioritize natural light, flexible layouts, and shared communal amenities—spaces intentionally crafted for young professionals and creatives alike.
Residents don’t just live here—they become part of a purpose-driven ecosystem, with daily opportunities to engage deeply with neighbors, contribute to civic life, and collaborate alongside the changemakers who share this vibrant, interconnected space.
Design as a Tool for Empowerment
Every inch of the Service Center was conceived with purpose. JP2 and Seawall share a design philosophy that architecture is deeply human-centered—rooted in the belief that the built environment shapes how we live, work, connect, and contribute. The building not only honors the area’s architectural history but also models sustainable, inclusive growth. The design fosters openness, accessibility, and collaboration, encouraging interaction across industries and communities.
From communal gathering spaces to intentional sightlines that frame the surrounding neighborhoods, the building’s design invites transparency, creativity, and engagement. It's a place where nonprofits, social enterprises, and purpose-driven businesses can thrive side-by-side—physically close, but also aligned in mission.
Community Building Through Intentional Development
For Seawall, development is never just about bricks and mortar—it’s about people. The Service Center is an embodiment of that ethos. Located amid vibrant murals, corner eateries, and generational homes, it reflects and supports the surrounding community. This is not gentrification—it’s regeneration with heart. By prioritizing community involvement, affordable commercial rents, and locally rooted tenants, the project serves as an engine for equitable economic development.
One of the most innovative aspects is The Service Works program, which connects apartment residents to pre-vetted volunteering opportunities with Baltimore-based nonprofits. From mentoring youth to neighborhood clean-ups, residents can engage directly in the city’s challenges and triumphs. Each hour volunteered is matched by a donation to the nonprofit served, reinforcing a local economy of goodwill and tangible support.
This kind of program isn’t just thoughtful—it’s strategic. It creates a ripple effect of civic participation, social trust, and shared responsibility. It also sends a clear message: that good design isn’t only aesthetic—it’s ethical, relational, and deeply invested in place.
Architecture That Anchors a New Narrative
That narrative is about more than space—it’s about stewardship. The Service Center is proof that architecture can catalyze connection, that design can reinforce dignity, and that development, when done right, can be an instrument of inclusion.
At a time when many cities face disinvestment or extractive growth, Baltimore has doubled-down. The Service Center is a model for how we can design our way toward more just futures—where beautiful buildings house bold ideas, and where communities aren’t displaced, but empowered.
This is what it looks like to build with purpose.
And this is what it means to truly serve.
How JP2 Brings Community Impact to Life
Whether local, out of state, or international, JP2 Architects is deeply committed to strengthening the communities we serve. Guided by the principles of people, purpose, and place, we take the time to understand what connects individuals, uncover their unique needs, and listen to their aspirations. With every project, we explore how the built environment can foster a sense of connection and support meaningful, lasting impact. From addressing food deserts to introducing new cultural experiences, JP2 designs with intention—creating spaces that elevate quality of life, spark opportunity, and reflect the spirit of the communities they serve.