O’Doherty Group was instrumental in shaping the Visitor Center and Promenade project and its relationship to adjacent downtown Annapolis. Principal Pearse O’Doherty facilitated conversations between local and federal authorities to create pedestrian connections along the waterfront between city and Naval Academy properties. The entrance road was realigned to maximize water views and incorporated a wide waterfront promenade and campus greens into the Visitor Center grounds. Parking that formerly dominated the waterfront was relocated to maximize the waterfront as an attraction and to reduce stormwater runoff directly entering Spa Creek from impervious parking areas. The promenade is lined with custom details in lighting and site furnishings that complement the 19th Century architecture and nautical themes.

Pearse O’Doherty did site planning and created a visitor experience that required collaboration with architects, engineers, zookeepers, exhibit consultants and contractors. The client requested an exhibit to enhance quality of life for the polar bears, foster the zoo’s conservation and breeding programs and provide exciting, informative and educational experiences for visitors.
An authentic “tundra buggy” (an ATV used for viewing wildlife) is an observation “room.” Glass walls rise from grade to a height above the bears’ reach. The underwater viewing pool brings visitors close to the bears.
Universal access is met through a series of ramps that secondarily create bridges and underpasses, complete with shade and murals. Animal containment and safety, top priorities for the exhibit, were achieved through multiple layers and types of fencing and barriers.

Acton’s Landing is a residential adaptive reuse project on a former hospital site. The seven-story hospital building and five-story garage have been replaced with a development in keeping with the historic look of the neighborhoods. The original hospital building (1910) and two 1920-era homes were preserved. Design decisions were governed by the site’s transitions from denser (condominiums, town homes) to less dense (single-family homes). A parking lot and roadway became a community park with water access. BMPs were implemented, including rain gardens. The Maryland Governor’s Office of Smart Growth recognized this project as an exemplary Smart Growth project by the Maryland Department of Planning.