We’ve got 40 years to prove it. In 2025, we celebrated four decades of work with the opening of our Archive, while continuing to build what’s next: creating places, both physical and digital, that bring people together.

Senior Designer Zachary Kotel joined the Denver Sports & Entertainment Summit to discuss how Denver’s Lavender Hill Cultural District, a project grounded in visibility, care, and connection, drives economic impact in the surrounding neighborhoods and city at large. 

Dezeen published a feature on the Johns Hopkins University Student Center, highlighting the transformation of a historic building into a student-centered campus hub at the heart of the Homewood campus. We’re proud to have developed donor graphics on display throughout the space.

We are thrilled to partner with Terra Nova Ventures on the historic rehabilitation of a former eight-story flour mill in Ellicott City, adapting the industrial structure into a residential apartment building while preserving its architectural character.

At AIGA DC’s Crafting Presence event, co-owners Jenny Romei Hoffman and Alexey Ikonomou shared how Ashton infuses history and culture into the built environment to connect people to place in meaningful ways.

Co-Owner and Principal Jenny Romei Hoffman and Design Director Michelle Ghiotti joined industry leaders at The One Club in New York City for Creativity’s AI Executive Summit, where the focus was on how AI is changing how we work in the world. 

Ashton Design is proud to be part of the team rethinking Baltimore’s iconic Inner Harbor to become a more accessible waterfront with vibrant public spaces, mixed-use developments, and enhanced connectivity. Image courtesy of MCB Real Estate.

The Baltimore Banner profiled The William Fell joining Hilton Hotels’ Tapestry Collection. Ashton worked with Myers Jabara Hotels on a complete rebrand of the hotel, from naming and new identity through to key card design.

We enjoyed partnering with the York Road Improvement District (YRID) to showcase the amenities and personalities that define the neighborhood.

SEGD profiled our work bringing Lavender Hill, Denver’s Queer Cultural District, to life in a way that reflected and benefited the community it serves.

When David Ashton opened our doors in 1985, who knew we were joining such a legendary class? One that witnessed Bruce Springsteen release Born in the USA and Bill Gates debut Windows 1.0.  Today, we’re celebrating 40 years by opening up our own Archive to the public. Join us throughout the year as we rifle through our souvenirs from projects and offices.

Hotel Business covered the complete repositioning and redesign of a local Baltimore institution, formerly known as The Admiral Fell Inn, and now known as The William Fell. Ashton had the great opportunity to partner with Meyer Jabara Hotels on renaming and rebranding the hotel as it prepared to enter Hilton Hotels’ Tapestry portfolio.

Deep into the shortest days of the season, now is the time to put down the deadlines and dream more. Join us as we take a trip through 2024’s creative cosmos, complete with an exploration of the many types of space we all share. Zoning out in 3, 2, 1...

WBAL covered Mayor Brandon Scott’s ribbon cutting to open Elijah Park, a new 177-acre mixed-use space in Port Covington. The Black Lives Matter mosaic, created by local students with a case designed by Ashton, is the heart of the park.

Baltimore Beat interviewed Bromo Arts District’s Executive Director, Emily Breiter, about the importance of Bromo to the city’s creative community and the purpose behind the district’s rebrand.

The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) honored Lexington Market with an Excellence Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The annual awards recognizes transformative economic development projects that have profoundly impacted communities, regions, and nations.

We’re happy to celebrate the continued recognition of the WMATA headquarters design. We agree with the juror who commented, “bus schedules have never looked so appealing.”

As the new facility readys to open in September 2025, we’ve been having a blast designing spaces Baltimore kids will enjoy—including creating a super-sized purple raven at the entryway, made from the hands of the iconic Boys & Girls Club logo.

Great write-up in Bmore Art about the significance of the Collective/Action exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. We're proud to have designed and installed the show graphics that help transform the gallery from a static space into a charged place.

SquashWise is a great non-profit using sports to help kids in the community level up. We’re particularly pumped to help them turn a former Greyhound bus terminal into a state-of-the-art squash center for student athletes, opening in 2025.

At Ashton, 2023 was a big year for big impact. Check out our top themes, projects, and takeaways and get a sneak peek of where we’re headed next.

We were proud to be at the groundbreaking for Transform Pikesville Armory,  a $100-million makeover project spanning 14 acres. Ashton rolled out a transitional identity and project website to keep the community informed as the project progresses.

We are thrilled to share the unveiling of the first sign as part of a more extensive wayfinding system for downtown Baltimore that shows visitors and residents how to get to the city’s many African American cultural heritage sites.  

We’re excited to announce that the transformation of Franklin Park, the first example of a federal-local partnership to improve and maintain a National Park property, has been recognized by AIA DC for Excellence in Urban Design & Master Planning.

The people have spoken: Lexington Market has won the 2023 People’s Choice Award for Excellence in Design, as hosted by AIA Baltimore and the Baltimore Architecture Foundation.

Baltimore Heritage will recognize Lexington Market at its 2023 Preservation Celebration for “conserving public market heritage” in our city.

The new, mixed-used apartment community replaces a long-standing, burned-out warehouse. Its opening marks a new chapter for Greektown and will serve as a new community anchor for the other businesses and residents that call the neighborhood home.

John Hopkins University’s new D.C. flagship will extend its research and impact in the nation’s capital by centralizing its Washington-based graduate programs under one roof. Ashton developed a donor signage system to honor the generous support of more than 100 individuals who made the project possible.

The mentoring non-profit, which supports Baltimore’s young men with critical out-of-school programming, finally has a state-of-the-art space to call home. Ashton worked with NOU to create an environment where these men, ages 12-25, can feel empowered.

Lexington Market was recognized as the “flagship of Baltimore’s public market system” and celebrated for delivering an A+ food and visitor experience. 

Proud to take its place as Best Seasonal Mart in the Best of Baltimore’s “Fun” category, the Mount Vernon Place Conservatory’s annual Flower Mart gets its due, described as“delightful” and full of “vivid blooms.”

In just over two years, Towson University achieved the most ambitious fundraising goal in the school’s history, fueled by the success of its TU RISE campaign.

The Baltimore Sun explores the ecological importance and interesting history of the Ladew Butterfly House. Our signage is an integral part of Ladew’s educational process, which helps visitors better understand the beautiful bugs on site.