Brennan + Company

brennan + company architects is a 37-year-old, architectural design firm located in an historic 1903 renovated, wood-framed repurposed church in the historic mill town of Oella, Maryland. We specialize in beautiful and smart community buildings and residences, both new and renovated. We promote building preservation and reuse as critical to sense of place. We design holistic, sustainable environments for healthy and efficient living.

We are committed to sustainable and historically sensitive design solutions through a collaborative and creative design process. We begin with the client's requested requirements, budget and design spirit to create an imaginative and thoughtful conceptual response to projects large and small, existing and new. The design develops through an ongoing review process with the client, culminating in the details and specifications necessary for bid and construction. We monitor the client's budget during the design process by submitting the project to selected contractors for preliminary pricing prior to preparing drawings for bid, permit and construction. The result is a richly detailed and described project, one that takes into consideration history, proportion, scale, appropriateness, environmental impact and affordability.

For those clients who have a special interest in having the least impact on our environment and who desire a high level of attention to a healthful indoor experience, we offer our expertise in sustainable building design. As a normal part of our schematic design package, we develop a summary of specific design considerations that the client may elect to incorporate into their project. At the earliest point in the thought process, we are also available to accompany clients to houses and lots that they are considering purchasing. This is the best practice to make the right choice for house orientation, site development issues and architectural style and finish considerations.

Rob Brennan

Rob Brennan

AIA, Principal

Rob Brennan, AIA, Principal, graduated with a Master of Architecture and Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia in 1981. He received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from The Catholic University of America. He has over forty years of experience in residential, educational and community projects in the Baltimore-Washington region. Rob also founded and owned Alterego, a sustainable building finish products retailer, from 2003-2013.

Rob is the past-Chair of the Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission, Past-President of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation and Past-President of AIA Baltimore. Previously, he was also Chair of the Design Committee of the Ellicott City Partnership and sat on the Ellicott City Master Plan Advisory Team and the Maryland Historical Trust Statewide Preservation Plan Advisory Committee. Rob has also served on the Baltimore County Streetscape and Bloomsbury Community Center Task Forces in Catonsville. He has just completed 10 years with Doors Open Baltimore and 15 years with the AIA Historic Resources Committee.

Rob and his spouse Chris live in a 1913 Four-square in Catonsville and are empty-nesters with three children, living in Bloomington, IN, Houston, TX and Bend, OR. Rob and Chris enjoy visiting National Parks almost every year and the beach every year.

Lili Mundroff

Lili Mundroff

Assoc. AIA, Associate Principal

Lili Mundroff, Assoc AIA, has been with the firm for 16 years. She graduated with a Master of Architecture, with a focus in Historic Preservation and was awarded the Architecture Faculty Design Award in 2017 from the University of Maryland at College Park. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts in Italian Language and Literature from UMCP as well. Her thesis project was urban and environmental in nature, exploring the design of buildings and spaces on the edge of Baltimore City’s historic Druid Hill Park. She exemplifies brennan+company’s commitment to good design and historic preservation.

Lili serves on the Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission and on the Doors Open Baltimore Committee within the Baltimore Architecture Foundation. She graduated from AIA Baltimore’s Civic Lab program, nationally recognized by the American Institute of Architects as a model program for civic engagement by architects. Additionally, Lili co-chairs the AIA Historic Resources Committee organizing meeting, programming and planning for events to raise awareness for historic preservation and expanding diversity in the architecture profession.

Outside of the office, Lili enjoys traveling to historic places and urban centers, visiting art museums and following up with foreign languages and news.  Lili’s favorite mottos to live by: ‘Carpe Diem’ – ‘La vita e’ bella’.

Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson

Assoc. AIA, Architectural Designer

Kevin Johnson joined our team in December of 2021. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree with a double major in History and a Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Miami. Kevin has previously engaged with AIA Baltimore’s Historic Resources Committee as well as the Baltimore Architecture Foundation’s Dead Architects Society and Future Architects Resources Committee. His interests in architecture lie at the intersection of the past and the present, with a commitment to preservation and sustainability.

Philosophy

Historic Preservation
brennan+company has a passion for historic preservation and believe in our commitment to maintain our region’s architectural heritage. We take great pride in our sensitivity to historic structures and old houses and respect them with appropriate additions and renovations.
Sustainable Architecture
A core philosophical pursuit of brennan+company architects is to provide architecture that is environmentally responsible, beautiful and creatively executed. We believe it is our fundamental duty to educate the public on humanity's effect on the environment and to diminish negative impact on our ecosystem. It is our goal to visualize and implement a better quality of life for all of our clients. This involves looking at projects with a holistic approach to explore its impact on architecture, environment, agriculture, the economy and the community.
Master Planning
brennan+company architects enters a project in a thoughtful and considered manner. The master plan, on any number of levels, is a necessary tool that must be in place to focus future conversation and expenditures wisely. We have provided many clients with master plans that delineate phases for their projects in a logical order to avoid redundancies and increase implementation.
Integrated Design Team
We firmly believe in an integrated team approach to our projects. This involves bringing all parties to the table, including the owner, the users, builder, the community and the project consultants to engage in a collaborative discussion of the issues and goals. The result is ultimately an efficient and focused endeavor to bring a sustainable design and planning approach to the construction process.
Community Involvement
Community review and comment is critical to the success of a project. There are zoning, historic review, and building code issues to identify and address. We have appeared before boards on variance, special exception, and historic issues in most of the entities in and around Washington, DC, Baltimore and Frederick, Maryland and Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia. We have heard the comments, consulted the owners, and implemented the changes to keep the project moving forward.
Healthy Live and Work Environments
brennan+company strongly believes you should love your house. This emotion inspires happiness, peace and good family time. Our home and work spaces must be healthy and pleasant places to spend our time. Well-designed, finished and lighted space encourages more productive and engaged work. Fresh air, views and a sense of ownership for the employee and the public instill pride of place and ultimately increase its usefulness, utility and longevity.

Awards

Maryland Historical Trust
Excellence in Commercial Rehabilitation
April 2023
Best of Houzz
Design
January 2024
Best of Houzz
Design
January 2023
Best of Houzz
Design
January 2022
Best of Houzz
Service
January 2022
Best of Houzz
Design
January 2021
Best of Houzz
Design
February 2020
Preservation Maryland
Stewardship Award
May 2019
bMORE Resilient Competition
Most Resilient Concept
September 2015
AIA Maryland Student Design Awards
Citation, Aqua Terra
September 2015
Best of Houzz
Design (Staircase) DC
January 2015
Natural Home Magazine
Kitchen of the Year 2009
AlA Baltimore 2008 Design Awards
Honorable Mention
October 2008

Publications

Baltimore Magazine 2019
April 2019
Fine Home Building 2012

Also seen in: Home & Design Source Book, Architecture DC, Chesapeake Home Magazine, Dwell Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, Urbanite Magazine, National Green Pages, Urbanite Home & Design Source Book, NotSoBigHouse.com, Preservation Source Book