Coming during Campus Sustainability Month, the Oct. 17 groundbreaking of the new University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) building marks a milestone in sustainability efforts at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).

Anthony Consoli

It is set to become the only operationally net-zero emissions building within the University System of Maryland and the first in downtown Baltimore, underlying UMB’s commitment to environmental responsibility as laid out in the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. 

Its planning also builds on a number of eco-friendly projects launched in recent years, in addition to highlighting the dedication of community members who have played a significant role in the University’s transformation into a model of sustainability — including Anthony Consoli, AIA, LEED AP, who recently retired as University architect after over a decade of leadership in this area.

Consoli, who prioritized wellness and ecological health for people and the environment during his time at UMB, said his philosophy and approach stem from the University’s mission and core values, which include Well-Being and Sustainability. As he explained, “UMB is Maryland’s premier health sciences institution, making it vital that the campus environment reflects its mission to improve long-term health for people, communities, and the planet.”

Throughout his tenure, Consoli consistently steered campus projects toward choices that promoted sustainable strategies. His imprint can be seen in several green elements of the new UMSSW building; in the Design and Construction (D&C) office area on the sixth floor of the Lexington Building, which serves as a “Showroom of Sustainable Design” in living green walls that bring nature indoors; and in pedestrian walkways and landscaping that make UMB’s urban campus more cohesive; as well as the wider use of native plantings.

In particular, the creation of green spaces might seem difficult given the University’s setting in downtown Baltimore, but Consoli brought an optimistic outlook to such projects.

“Urban campuses have great challenges, which simultaneously present great opportunities for improvement,” he said. “Small parks and ecological landscapes at UMB provide areas of refuge for nature, wildlife, and all of us, absorbing stormwater, cleaning our air, and regenerating our spirits. One spot that fills me with joy is just southeast of Pascault Row, where a rain garden has become a bird sanctuary, filled with song and activity.”

Consoli stressed that such spaces are a breath of fresh air —literally and figuratively — for those who live and work in densely populated environments. He also said that the use of ecological landscaping, a method that seeks to restore natural habitats for wildlife by using native plants and trees, is a vital component of the greening process.

His work in this area is evident in the variety of native species planted throughout campus such as willow and pin oaks, river birches, sugar maples, and smaller trees including flowering dogwoods and sweetbay magnolias. Trees are crucial in mitigating the urban heat island effect by providing shade and reducing temperatures, Consoli said. And expanding the University’s tree canopy, in conjunction with the UMB Office of Sustainability, has been one of the cornerstones of his work.

During his time at the University, Consoli also developed tools to encourage the wider use of native plantings across campus. His creation of a spreadsheet cataloging native plants, their bloom times, and their colors allows the University to design ecological landscapes that maintain color and visual interest throughout the year. This approach marks a departure from previous landscaping practices that emphasized aesthetics alone, when planting a succession of annuals offered temporary beauty but little in the way of ecological benefit.

He also brought green spaces indoors. Consoli helped realize two interior green walls at UMB, one in the D&C office and another in the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Student Lounge. These living walls offer a host of benefits to the UMB community, Consoli said.

“The obvious advantage is the wellness that stems from human affinity with nature — plants have an immediate calming effect and help renew the psyche,” he noted. “Less obvious, but equally important, is the air purification function these walls serve. The soil medium in these self-irrigating walls acts as a super filter, cleaning the air far more effectively than plants alone could. This alignment of nature, health, and design exemplifies UMB’s mission to foster wellness for its community.”

Among the many projects that give Consoli pride, he said two stand out in particular as positively impacting the physical environment and UMB community. The first is the UMSON Student Lounge; in addition to the green wall — which is encircled by ironwork created by UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS — the space involved the creation of design elements that honor nursing pioneers and the need to seamlessly connect new and old campus buildings. The second is the conversion of Arch Street into a pedestrian-only walkway, a transformation that has significantly improved the safety of those walking from UMB’s administrative buildings to the academic centers while beautifying the campus through landscaping and tree planting.

Before Consoli’s tenure at UMB ended, he reflected on the personal and professional satisfaction he derived from his work. “It has been my joy and privilege to serve as the University architect,” he said. “I am particularly grateful to my dedicated, hardworking colleagues and enlightened, supportive leadership who have been the key to turning these ideas into physical realities that now benefit all of us at UMB.”

One of those colleagues, Elizabeth Main, MPA, director of UMB’s Office of Sustainability, summed up his impact on the University by saying, “Anthony’s passion and advocacy for sustainability predated the existence of our formal sustainability office, and his legacy will carry on long after we are gone. We are immensely grateful to Anthony for laying the groundwork for impactful sustainability work at UMB.”