The new Under Armour headquarters building in Baltimore, Md., incorporates numerous sustainability features, including a sleek facade of single-layer ETFE. Photo: JR Resolutions/Birdair

Major sports clothing company Under Armour recently recreated its world headquarters in Baltimore, Md., by putting its connection to the environment and community on display. Besides using a mass timber structural frame and having an overall commitment to reducing embodied carbon, the new building features a sleek facade of single-layer ETFE. The lead design architect, Gensler, helped the apparel company move toward its goal of attaining 100% renewable sources by 2030 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Modern building facade with curved, glass-like panels and large black Under Armour logo against a blue sky, surrounded by landscaping.
Many of the projects featured in this year’s Specifier’s Guide incorporate ETFE membranes to improve sustainability and deliver a great-looking building that creates an immersive environment. Photo: JR Resolutions/Birdair

A key to making this work is the ETFE membrane cladding. Engineering, fabrication, project management and installation of the membrane was by Birdair®.

“[Gensler] selected ETFE film for its transparent lighting advantages to change the dynamic look of the building,” Birdair writes in its IAA entry. This project also fits perfectly into the grounding, movement and connection framework that this issue of Fabric Architecture is featuring, by placing the new Under Armour campus in the historic Port Covington industrial neighborhood of Baltimore. A pro soccer field, a basketball court and related facilities surround the building, which includes rainwater capturing, solar panels, sun shades, green roofs and geothermal cooling/heating systems deftly integrated with the ETFE cladding.

Modern Under Armour headquarters with large glass facade, featuring a prominent logo and digital display, surrounded by landscaped grounds.
Photo: JR Resolutions/Birdair

The total commitment by the client, the architect, the engineers and the fabricators helps ground this project with its neighborhood, encourages free-flowing movement across the campus with a transparent ground floor (the main building is raised 17 feet in anticipation of potential sea level rising in the future) and makes numerous connections beyond its immediate site.

The new Under Armour Global Headquarters received an Outstanding Achievement award in the 2025 IAAs in the Exterior Facades category.

Project data

Architect: Gensler

Engineering, fabrication and installation: Birdair®

Engineer: Thorton Tomasetti

Fabric: ETFE TensoSky by Nowofol GmbH

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