KCI is providing structural engineering services to support the establishment of the $130 million New Cultural Center in downtown Columbia, Maryland.
The new facility will serve as both a visual arts and cultural hub for the city, encouraging diversity and education for the community. Our team has supported the project from early planning through detailed design, helping transform complex plans into a safe and resilient facility. We evaluated building code requirements and developed structural systems that respond to seismic, wind, snow, and thermal demands while supporting architectural design. Due to the size and configuration of the building, expansion joints were incorporated throughout the design. These joints divide the Center into four distinct structural sections, each with its own structural system, while allowing the building to function as a single, integrated space. Our work also included alternate foundation systems, parking garage stabilization, concrete and “floating” wood framing systems, and a custom curtainwall system, as well as advanced structural modeling to test performance under a range of conditions.
The completed Center will include a dinner theater, two black box theaters, a cantilevered dance studio, artist studios, classrooms, landscaped terraces, and several event spaces. Additionally, the space will feature over 200 affordable housing units and a new garage with over 700 parking spaces.
