The neo-traditional towns of Kentlands and Lakelands are located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in the northern suburbs of Washington, D.C. Planned by the urban design firm of Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, these new urbanist towns combine residential neighborhoods with live/work and commercial areas to offer a pedestrian friendly alternative to suburban sprawl. Market Square is the commercial center of both communities, and the main public gathering place. To delineate this public space, the Bloomer Studio designed a colonnade and curved peristyle, topped by an exuberant hand-hammered aluminum frieze. The frieze, whose rhythmic composition is descended from the foliated scroll of antiquity, combines painted elements with garlands of glistening unpainted aluminum leaves. At the center of the peristyle is a cast stone fountain with a form derived from the acanthus leaf. (The same cast stone element is used to form a meditative circular seating area in a nearby park.) Inspired by late nineteenth century public arcades, the Market Square Pavilion enlivens and defines civic space. The basin of the fountain, enclosed by the peristyle, provides an inviting place for community residents to sit and linger.

Honor Award, AIA Maryland, 2008