Founding One Hundred Spotlight

This award-winning architecture, interiors, and consulting firm is Annapolis Green’s neighbor in on Maryland Avenue. It was founded in 2004 by Melanie Hartwig-Davis. Among Melanie’s accreditations is her LEED Accredited Professional Sustainable Design Practices credentials. She and her team incorporate LEED principles (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) into all aspects of their practice to increase the resiliency of the communities they serve.

HD Squared’s portfolio includes custom residential designs, critical area/waterfront projects and remodeling. The firm also works on historic preservation and adaptive reuse for all sorts of commercial projects including restaurants. The practice also specializes in interiors, site design, and master planning.

Her team includes John Richards, Senior Designer and Construction Administrator, and Kate Dawson, Operations Manager and Interior Designer.

Among other accolades, HD Squared was honored with the AIA Chesapeake Bay Excellence in Design Sustainability Award in 2019.

A true environmentalist, Melanie works collaboratively with her clients on how to minimize the impact of their design choices’ impact the natural environment. Her personal goal is for the projects to actually improve conditions for our ecosystems. She is a passionate advocate for resilient, sustainable design. As the company grows and technology advances, HD Squared is performing carbon calculations to minimize the projects’ carbon footprint.

“This is how we build resiliency for generations to come,” she said. “Resilient design includes interiors, buildings, landscapes, and communities that together provide an opportunity for the occupants and ecosystems to thrive and adapt in times of challenging circumstances.”

Melanie has been called an “Architect Activist.” A recent project exemplifies that passion for our planet. On the eve of her 50th birthday, she took to Facebook to help raise $50,000 in 50 days, with the Scenic Rivers Land Trust to save 45 acres of the Glebe Heights Forest on the Mayo Peninsula from development.

“Forests are imperative to maintaining resilient, sustainable, and healthy lives, as they clean our air and water,” she said. “They are our best defense against climate change and flooding.”

You can donate to this cause by clicking here. Every amount is appreciated. Note: You must indicate ‘Glebe Heights Forest Conservation Project’ in the comments section of the donation form so that the funds are allocated correctly.

Happy Birthday, Melanie! Thanks for all you do.