Two distinct buildings with textured brick and glass facades, surrounded by green grass and pathways, under a clear sky.

Bowie State University, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center

Bowie, Maryland

Empowering Voices of Change

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center is an integral part of the Bowie State experience, connecting students across various fields of study in a facility that is designed to encourage student self-expression and foster a collaborative environment for learning and creativity. The Center provides customized, technology-rich learning environments for studies in communication arts and humanities disciplines. These specialty spaces create the stage upon which students at Maryland’s oldest historically black university or college (HBCU) are “empowered to speak” and “destined to soar,” celebrating Bowie State’s history as a diverse institution and Dr. King’s ideals of empowerment, justice, equity, love, and community.

Client: Bowie State University
Size: 192,000 square feet
Completion Date: 2024
Sustainability: Maryland Green Building Council’s High Performance Green Building Program

Awards:
Award of Merit, Education Architecture
AIA Northern Virginia, 2026
Honor and Gold Award, Institutional Architecture
AIA Potomac Valley Awards, 2025
Citation, Institutional Architecture
AIA Maryland Awards, 2025
Higher Education Award
IIDA Mid-Atlantic Premiere Design Awards, 2025
Honorable Mention, Unbuilt Washington Awards
AIA DC, 2022

Colorful mural of a human head silhouette on a white wall in a spacious interior, with a person sitting on a yellow and black bench.

“Conversation” by artist Victor Ekpuk comprises two mosaic tile murals.

Suspended across a bridge that joins classrooms with performance spaces, the two large silhouettes face one another in dialogue, echoing Bowie State’s legacy of diversity, cultural richness, and courageous voices.

Bright lobby featuring large graphic mural of a head silhouette, large windows, and diverse seating areas with yellow and gray couches.

“Conversation” comprises two mosaic tile murals by artist Victor Ekpuk.

Colorful mosaic artwork featuring abstract shapes and patterns in yellow, black, red, and blue on a white background.

“Conversation” by Victor Ekpuk

Close-up of the mosaic mural.

Interior space with seating area, large windows, and wooden ceiling. People engage in conversation and leisure activities. Staircase in the background.

Interior view of a spacious atrium with wooden ceilings and sleek lighting. A line of people dressed in black stands on polished concrete flooring.

Community Inflection

The interior spaces between program blocks are shared public zones for both students and the community. This community inflection space is highly versatile—a pre-function space for theater events, a flexible rehearsal area for the step team, or a quiet setting for study.

Interior view of a campus building featuring a glass-walled conference room, sleek lines, yellow accents, and people walking by.

Students work and relax in a spacious area featuring soft seating and natural light, with green walls and modern furnishings.

Broadcast studio scene with an instructor speaking to students seated at desks. Digital equipment and soundproofing visible in background.

Entrance to the Reserve Officers' Training Corps featuring a decorative blue soundwave design on glass doors and wooden accents in the interior.

Interior view of a theater with tiered seating, featuring yellow and gray striped walls and stage lighting. Empty seats arranged for performances.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center houses the departments of language, literature, and cultural studies; history and government; communications; and military science, as well as performing arts spaces.

Bright, spacious lobby with large windows and sleek seating. People engage in various activities, showing a lively indoor atmosphere.

New educational building featuring glass entrance, landscaped lawn, and unique exterior design. Pathways and lighting enhance the accessibility.

A pattern of louvres and windows on the façade is a translated waveform of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s voice from his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, calling us to “have the courage to face the uncertainties of the future.”

Interior hallway with large windows, yellow benches, and artwork, showing a person walking. Lush greenery and gathering area visible outside.

Each panel in the Historical Legacy Corridor uniquely pairs an academic skill with notable events in African American and campus history to create a non-linear heritage timeline.

Artwork and graphic elements throughout the communal areas are designed to inspire, celebrating the power of ideas and using one’s voice to create change. Bowie State’s 160-year history of empowering change is reflected in the Historical Legacy Corridor. The design features mixed-media artwork highlighting the skills essential to succeed in academic life: exploring culture, thinking critically, organizing change, speaking publicly, reading to connect, and analyzing mindfully. Each panel pairs academic skills with notable events, intending to spark new ways of thinking about shared cultural history.

Every student receiving a Bowie State education will pass through this building at some point in their curriculum. The skills they learn here will give them the self-confidence and practical tools to navigate real-world challenges in future career paths.

Aminta H. Breaux, Bowie State University President

People gather on landscaped steps outside a glass-fronted building, surrounded by greenery and walkways during evening twilight.

Outdoor Programming

A versatile amphitheater-style gathering space supports outdoor classes, campus events, and performances, fostering connection, expression, and engagement in the open air.

Exterior view of a building with textured siding, featuring angular windows and adjacent landscaping, under a clear blue sky.

In a poignant tribute to service and sacrifice, the north “Inflection” space of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center features a memorial to Lt. Richard Collins III, a Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) candidate at BSU whose life was tragically cut short in a hate crime. Etched into felt panels, Lt. Collins’ image stands as a lasting reminder of the importance of unity, resilience, and remembrance in the face of adversity. An inscription nearby encourages students to “Serve with honor. Live with purpose.”

An enclave on the second floor of the Student Inflection serves as a memorial to Lt. Richard Collins III.

Strategic Sustainability

Sustainability solutions include rooftop photovoltaic arrays, electric vehicle charging, and a Lighting Power Density (LPD) reduction of 43%, which exceeds the 2030 Challenge goal.

The project also converts an existing parking lot into new green spaces for recreational use and adds new areas of native planting, allowing for a 79% reduction in landscape potable water use.

Exterior view of a glass and stone building complex featuring landscaped green spaces and modern architecture against a clear sky.

Project Team

Renee Rodriguez

Carl Knutson

Tom Butcavage

Katie Janson

Bowie State University, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center

Project Team

Related Content