Leonardtown Area Redevelopment

Project: Leonardtown Area Redevelopment

Location: College Park, MD

Contractor: Advantage Air Conditioning of Virginia

The Project

The University of Maryland is transforming the former Old Leonardtown community into a new graduate student housing development, offering 800 rooms across a modern, amenity-rich campus neighborhood. This project prioritizes upgraded living spaces and aims to foster a vibrant, supportive environment tailored to the needs of graduate students. The original design required multiple interior mechanical access points, which would have cluttered the ceiling and created long‑term maintenance challenges. Working closely with the mechanical engineer, the design team reconfigured the return and supply air pathways and modified the surrounding structure to house the mechanical units more efficiently—maintaining both ceiling height and proper service clearances. Nystrom provided a large, seamless drywall‑infilled access door that replaced several smaller mechanical doors. After reviewing both metal and drywall‑infilled options, the general contractor and architect selected the Drywall Access Door for its clean aesthetic and improved accessibility. This responsive collaboration—from early mechanical coordination through final product selection ensured a smooth installation process and a clean, cohesive ceiling design across all units in the project.

Products Used

• Drywall Access Door