Ferry Cove Shellfish

Tasked with designing a new facility to aid in the production of oyster hatching for the commercial shellfish industry and the reviving of the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay, Becker Morgan Group provided architectural services and collaborated with several teams through a contractor-lead design-build process. The new 20,483 sf building was split programmatically into two different volumes – production and administration. The production side focuses on housing the different spaces needed for aquacultural activities including laboratories, support spaces, and tank maintenance. The administrative side provides support including offices, a multi-purpose room, and a break room. The exterior form hearkens back to the Oyster processing houses of the 1800’s which used to inhabit the Bay with clerestory windows providing ample light throughout the day for the processing areas. The design aesthetic included striping of the masonry veneer to represent the varying colors found in the shell of an oyster.