the Neighborhood Design Center

Architectural and Interior Design

Harlem Park Community Wellness Hub

The site’s current condition: The existing vacant food market in the back of A Step Forward’s office is in rough shape. This footprint could be better utilized.
The site’s current condition: The existing vacant food market in the back of A Step Forward’s office is in rough shape. This footprint could be better utilized.

About the project

A Step Forward, Inc. (ASF) is a spiritually based, non-profit organization that provides supportive housing and wrap-around services in a safe and secure environment conducive to recovery from drugs, alcohol and other life-threatening issues. They aim to eliminate social disparities by empowering persons to overcome mental, physical, and environmental challenges.

The Neighborhood Design Center partnered with A Step Forward to develop conceptual architectural plans of the Harlem Park Wellness Hub, inspired by the legacy of Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, a champion of health equity and social justice.

The hub is envisioned as a community-centered space that supports well-being by providing access to nutrition education, mental health resources, preventive care, and other services designed to address chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.

The historic Harlem Park neighborhood of West Baltimore, MD helped shape civil rights leaders and was a spiritual, cultural, and political center for Baltimore’s African American community by the early 1900s, anchored by landmarks like Harlem Park, the Harlem Theater, and Lafayette Square. It continues a strong legacy of grassroots activism through organizations like the Harlem Park Neighborhood Council and local churches working to restore resources and reinvest in West Baltimore communities.

Footprint drawing of current offices and the underutilized space potential.

The Challenge

    • High demand for services but a lack of space in the current building

    • High percentage of vacant buildings nearby that could become active community spaces

    • General lack of community-led, welcoming, accessible community spaces that focus on health from a holistic lens

    • A range of program partners and services without a centralized location

We facilitated a Lunch and Learn session, community presentation, and staff focus group. Through precedent imagery and engaging activities, stakeholders circled and wrote about programming elements they’d like to see for the space.
We facilitated a Lunch and Learn session, community presentation, and staff focus group. Through precedent imagery and engaging activities, stakeholders circled and wrote about programming elements they’d like to see for the space.
Precedent imagery with sticky notes: one of our crafted engagement activity to bring forward community desires.
Precedent imagery with sticky notes: one of our crafted engagement activity to bring forward community desires.

The Vision

    • Transform a one-floor vacant deli into a four-story wellness hub that prioritizes elders’ access and comfort while including space for everyone, including children and adults

    • Integrate casual social gathering lounges with formal public programming spaces, including classes, workshops, and fitness and cooking demonstrations

    • Define a private office area on the top floor for preventative health services and office visits

    • Include a rooftop garden space for meditation, relaxation, and light gardening

Slide 1 of 4
Conceptual rendering of Harlem Park Wellness Hub, with A Step Forward, Inc, in Baltimore. Left-side view of modern multi-story brick building with colorful geometric sculptural mural.

The Plan

NDC’s design team envisioned a rooftop garden, community multi-purpose room, non-commercial community kitchen, and variety of smaller room uses including a play area, office rooms, and more open seating and lounge areas influenced the floor plans.

Our deliverables included: existing conditions documentation, zoning and code analysis, and conceptual floor plans and renderings that reflected the community’s vision for a welcoming and accessible space.

Slide 1 of 3
Harlem Park Community Wellness Hub levels 1 and 2.
Harlem Park Community Wellness Hub levels 1 and 2.

The power of pro-bono design.

This project was lead by volunteer designers Niknaz Aryan, lead architect, Aqsa Rafi, lead researcher and design support, and Michael Lawrence, senior architect consultant, directed by NDC staff Maura Dwyer and Julia DiMauro.

Last Updated July 2026

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