Charles Edwin Lamb

Charles E. Lamb, altruist, family man, lifelong sailor, and founding partner of international architectural firm RTKL, died peacefully in his sleep in Chestertown, MD, December 12, 2013. Born on May 17, 1926, in Annapolis, MD, Charles was the third child of Reginald C. Lamb, Civilian Chair of the Naval Academy Math Department, and Ruby M. Lamb, Commissioner of the Anne Arundel County Girl Scouts. Charlie is remembered for his innovative and practical approach to architectural design, his support of the founding of Baltimore’s Neighborhood Design Center, and pro-bono planning work for his hometown of Annapolis. Growing up in the 1930s, Charlie and his older brothers attended activities at the Naval Academy and spent summers at Boy Haven YMCA camp, built by his father and colleagues at Calvert Cliffs. Upon graduating from Annapolis High School, Charlie attended Georgia Tech with thoughts of becoming an aeronautical engineer. In 1944, with the war still on, he took a break and enlisted as a Merchant Marine at Kings Point, NY. That October he set sail on the first of three trans-Atlantic crossings to Europe. These trips introduced Charlie to examples of architecture he never forgot. After the war he enrolled in the University of Michigan School of Architecture, his interest now having shifted to structural design. By February 1950, he had earned his bachelor's degree and began his career with Rogers and Taliaferro Architects of Annapolis. In 1950, his mother in her official capacity as Girl Scout Commissioner prevailed upon Charlie to take on one of the most important projects of his early career. Mrs. Lamb and her colleagues had acquired a 32-acre swath of land on Broad Creek, off Chesapeake Bay’s River, to build a new scout camp. They needed a plan for a central gathering place for Scout functions and rituals. Guided by his father’s knowledge of physics, Charlie took it on. The innovative design of the “teepee” lodge at Girl Scout Camp Woodlands, went on to win a prestigious American Institute of Architects award in the summer of 1954…a notable achievement for a 20-something architect and one that helped the fledgling RTKL firm rise to prominence. Recently the "tepee" or Lamb Lodge as it was officially dedicated in honor of his parents’ service, has become a national historic landmark. His mother also introduced him to the camp’s first Waterfront Director, Marilyn Asplin, who later became his wife in a loving marriage of 60 years. Over the next 40 years, Charlie went on to enjoy a storied career as chief designer with RTKL achieving much success, winning many awards, and collaborating with design and development stalwarts such as Pietro Belluschi on Baltimore’s Church of the Redeemer and Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium. With James Rouse RTKL conceived Harundale Shopping Center on Richie Highway, the first enclosed shopping mall on the East Coast, and as the decades unfolded they created the national standard for commercial spaces and retail design. Concurrently, RTKL demonstrated their dedication to the revitalization of urban centers with projects such as the Charles Center in downtown Baltimore and provided city planning for Cincinnati, Hartford, and Charlotte. Over the years RTKL has grown internationally, opening offices in thirteen cities around the world and has continued to be a leader in areas of architecture and urban design. Charlie’s wife, Marilyn Lamb, preceded him, passing in 2010. He is survived by his four children, Lisa, Karin, Peter, and Regina; his brother, Harold Lamb; and his many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Charlie is loved and cherished by all and will be greatly missed. A smaller service with light refreshments will be held December 28, at 3 p.m. in Wesley Hall, located in the main building at Heron Point Retirement Community in Chestertown MD.; the second, a somewhat larger event, featuring a service, social and light fare, will be held at 11a,m. January 25, at the Church of the Redeemer, 5306 Charles St., at Melrose in Baltimore and will feature a subsequent RTKL memorial. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made at lamblodge.org or sent to the Girls Scouts of Central Maryland, attn Pattie Dash, 4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215, with a designating for the Restoration Project of “Lamb Lodge.”

Charles Edwin Lamb

May 17, 1926 - December 12, 2013