WASHINGTON, D.C.—While the world-renowned Johns Hopkins is based in Baltimore, the respected institution of higher learning has opened a new facility just 35 miles south in the nation’s capital. Key players on the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center—located at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, just off the National Mall—included architect of record SmithGroup, construction manager Clark Construction, project management and owners’ representation firm MGAC, exterior architect Ennead Architects and interior architect Rockwell Group.

All of the D.C.-based graduate studies for the university will take place in the Bloomberg Center. The 435,000-square-foot Bloomberg Center houses the School of Advanced International Studies, Carey Business School, as well as the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

The Bloomberg Center exists inside the site of the former Newseum, which closed at the end of 2019. The space has now been transformed to host 38 classrooms, a 375-seat theater, study spaces, lounges, and terraces overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue and the nearby Capitol. The Bloomberg Center also hosts a coffee shop, fitness center and library.

The unique design for the building entails two cantilevered floating classrooms that hang from trusses. The classroom space allows for extensive views of the facility’s main atrium space. Other amenities include an open meeting space, dubbed “The Beach,” for students and staff to congregate and chat in between classes. The Beach is named in honor of a greenspace at Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus, located near central Baltimore.

The designers incorporated Tennessee Pink marble in the facade, which matches other famous buildings nearby such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, as well as the Smithsonian along the Mall. The architects aimed to achieve LEED Silver Certification.

“The Hopkins Bloomberg Center is a new landmark facility for Johns Hopkins University,” said MGAC Project Manager Vincent McLaughlin. “We are pleased to deliver a building that will contribute to the cultural and academic landscape of Washington, D.C.”

“Converting the Hopkins Bloomberg Center from a museum into a modern education facility to support Johns Hopkins University’s programs has been an exciting challenge,” said Amy Mercurio, associate vice president of capital projects for Johns Hopkins University. “We have greatly benefited from having the original building’s architects and engineers on our team.”

MGAC was hired in 2019 to provide project management support and cost management services.

“The dedication and technical experience of the team members involved in the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center project made it possible to navigate any obstacles,” Sarah Eynon, MGAC’s senior director, said in a statement emailed to School Construction News. “Their technical expertise and commitment resulted in a remarkable overhaul of the building, creating a collaborative workspace that truly reflects the progressive ethos of a forward-thinking University.”

MGAC’s services include cost and project management, technological solutions, FF&E procurement and relocation management.

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MESA, Ariz.—McCarthy Building Companies is now constructing the $185 million Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 (ISTB12) at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus, located in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. Situated a few miles from the main ASU campus, the upgrades are part of an expansion for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering’ School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks at ASU’s Polytechnic campus—which is also referred to as the Innovation Research District.

As designed by SmithGroup, the 173,194-square-foot structure will entail 128,828 programmable square feet spread out over three floors. In addition to traditional classrooms, among the spaces designed for ISTB12 will be offices, collaboration spaces and research labs dedicated to various engineering challenges. Among the specialties that will be addressed in the various laboratories will be robotics, cyber, semiconductor manufacturing and additive manufacturing.

“ISTB12 is ASU’s largest single capital investment on the Polytechnic campus,” Alex Kohnen, ASU’s Facilities Development and Management vice president, said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “This state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing research and educational center will be a gateway between our future innovation zone and our existing campus as ASU continues to support Arizona’s new economy initiatives.”

Working with McCarthy and SmithGroup will be subcontractors including WOODPATEL, PK Associates and Speedie & Associates.

Mark Kranz, design director for SmithGroup, said that the building will not only fashion an entirely new “gateway” to the tech campus but also will anchor the Innovation District as it grows in future collaborations between academic and business leaders.

“The three-story U-shaped design is connected by a ‘collaboration bridge’ that creates a shaded courtyard and breezeway at the Terrapin Mall, one of the campus’s main pedestrian thoroughfares,” explained Kranz. “The project’s materiality complements and elevates the campus’s existing iconic architectural character with highly articulated metallic panels, concrete masonry units, low-E glazing and calibrated shading elements.”

McCarthy’s construction teams also created the ISTB7 project at ASU’s main campus in Tempe in 2022. Accordingly, the GC was eager to again work with the university on the expansions to the Polytechnic campus as well.

“Our laboratory construction team is working with university and project partners to build another state-of-the-art facility that Sun Devils will be proud of for years to come,” said Carlos Diaz, project director for McCarthy.

ISTB12 is the latest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects being constructed at various ASU campuses. Among the sustainability features at the science building are rainwater collection and solar-ready infrastructure. The project is aiming for LEED Silver certification.

Construction is projected to finish by November 2025.

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TUCSON, Ariz.—The design-build team of SmithGroup and McCarthy Building Companies has finished up work on the $85 million University of Arizona Applied Research Building (ARB), which will be home to the world’s single largest vacuum chamber, a cutting-edge apparatus that simulates outer space conditions and thus will be vital to extra-Earth research.

The 89,000-square-foot ARB will be the nation’s first freestanding educational structure dedicated specifically to the fabrication and testing of satellites.  The ARB will be home to Arizona’s applied physical sciences and engineering departments, uniting under one roof eight different science disciplines including astronomy, optical sciences and medicine.  This marks a significant collaboration between Arizona and NASA in the fields of astrophysics and space science.

The ARB will also host clean rooms, laboratories as well as an “anechoic”—or echo-proof—chamber that will be ideal for sound-testing satellite communications apparatuses.  Large bay labs on the facility’s north-facing edge will also be used for building high-altitude stratospheric balloons and nanosatellites, also known as “CubeSats.”  In addition, the ARB features a testing facility to measure the durability of airplane wings and various other sensitive equipment.

SmithGroup and McCarthy commenced on the design-build process in the fall of 2019, with ground first broken for the ARB in June 2021.  Among SmithGroup’s duties included not just architectural design but also fire protection and safety engineering, landscape planning, lighting design, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering.  Among the general contractors roles, McCarthy was tasked with ensuring covid-compliance as much of the work had to be undertaken as the pandemic continued to rage.  Subcontractors on the job included Sextant, Colin Gordon, Comfort Systems, Sturgeon Electric, Dibble Corporation and Magnum Paving.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell, UofA’s senior vice president for research and innovation, said that the ARB displays Arizona’s commitment to scientific inquiry and the ongoing development of space exploration capabilities.

“These are high-impact fields which not only touch, but drive forth, several aspects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Cantwell said.  “Applied research capabilities and outcomes will be augmented with state-of-the-art equipment and technology and several interdisciplinary university programs working together under one roof.”

“Befitting the cutting-edge work occurring within, the new ARB is a space-age marvel,” said Mark Kranz, design director at SmithGroup.  “Radical in design, the building itself is a highly calibrated machine, uniquely suited to house complex and sensitive research demands with optimal performance in its desert environment.

Added Antonya Williams, executive vice president of McCarthy’s Education Group: “The University of Arizona has been a leader in design-build, and this project is a great example of how the process brings a vision to life and provides the community that it serves a facility that will achieve remarkable things.

“We are grateful to have helped deliver this world-class project for the university and are thrilled that it will function to continue fostering a culture of collaboration for the campus and its researchers.”

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HOUSTON—SmithGroup, one of the nation’s leading integrated design firms, has opened an office in Houston, its 17th location worldwide. This new office strengthens the company’s network of talent and expertise in Texas, deepening the firm’s long-standing commitment to the state. The Houston location also expands upon SmithGroup’s successful relationships with colleges and universities across Texas and more recent growth in the region’s healthcare industry.

SmithGroup’s Houston office will be led by Jay Rambo, who also serves as director of the firm’s Dallas location. “While SmithGroup has been working on projects in Houston for 15 years and Texas for over 60 years, we could not be more thrilled to be officially expanding our presence in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the country,” said Rambo. “As an integrated design firm, we bring a unique blend of higher education, science and technology and healthcare expertise ideally matched to Houston’s market opportunities.”

Clint Menefee, SmithGroup’s Higher Education studio leader in Texas, will also serve as a key member of the Houston leadership team.

“In recent years, we have been honored to collaborate on several of Houston’s most impactful projects in Higher Education and look forward to fostering deeper connections with the educational needs of the region,” said Menefee. “Our team in Texas is excited to continue our expansion and further our mission to design inspiring learning environments at all scales, from campus to classroom, with a particular emphasis on environments for the health sciences, STEM and recreation and wellness.”

SmithGroup has extensive experience creating innovative design solutions for higher education institutions throughout Texas, including the Gulf Coast region. The firm recently designed and completed the University of Houston-Clear Lake Recreation and Wellness Center; the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) STEM Building; and the master plan and first academic building for the new University of Houston at Katy campus. In addition to built work, higher education projects currently underway include the UHV Health & Wellness Center; University of Houston-Downtown Student Wellness and Success Center; and Texas A&M University South Campus Recreation Center.

SmithGroup’s Houston office is located at 1801 Main Street, Suite 13.

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TUCSON, Ariz.—General contractor McCarthy Building Companies recently celebrated the topping out of the 89,000-square-foot facility University of Arizona’s new Applied Research Building (ARB).

The $85-million, four-story complex is being constructed at the southeast corner of Helen Street and the Highland Corridor, a major campus throughway.  When finished the ARB will be home to instruction and research related to space exploration, imaging technology, manufacturing and other scientific inquiry.  The ARB will also be home to the academic world’s single largest thermal vacuum chamber.  The building will feature laboratories, offices, conference rooms and “high-bay payload assembly areas.”

McCarthy has been working in conjunction with designer SmithGroup to ensure that the ARB will provide the state-of-the-art capabilities for which the University of Arizona has become known within the scientific community.  Various academic disciplines and concentrations will all be warehoused in the new building, including artificial intelligence, disease prevention and space exploration.

The ARB will also be the new home for the school’s Imaging Technology Laboratory, currently off-campus.  The lab will be able to expand its footprint at the ARB as it continues its missions related to satellite imaging and improving the U of A’s telescope capabilities.  The ARB will also be able to reach the next step in designing and testing nanosatellites, which not only reduce the cost of space exploration but take away the need for human astronauts.

No actual classes will be taught at the ARB, but both graduate and undergraduate students will be able to conduct research and experiments inside the facility.

“As a design-build project, our team fully integrated with our design partners, the owner and its end users to ensure ARB is not only highly functional, but we’ve also been able to overcome many of the supply chain issues that other projects are facing—the result is that ARB is on schedule and on budget even as modifications were made throughout construction,” Mike Lee, McCarthy’s ARB project director, said in a recent statement.  “Additionally, design-build delivery provided the visibility and flexibility necessary to accommodate and install the massive, irreplaceable, thermal TV chamber and support the University’s research and educational objectives.”

“This building will bring together people from multiple disciplines, multiple departments, and multiple external community partners as a collective to approach research as a collaborative process where the facility enables the whole, rather than the siloed parts, of addressing great societal challenges, regardless of how complex, but also glorious, that whole may be,” R. Brooks Jeffery, the University of Arizona’s associate vice president for research infrastructure, said during the topping-out event.

Added Stephanie Mitrovic, SmithGroup’s Science & Technology Studio Leader in Phoenix and principal in charge of the project: “The Applied Research Building (ARB) will serve as a state-of-the-art core research facility that supports next-generation space research. The team designed the building’s unique curtain wall assemblies to combine glass, metal panels with protruding fin walls, and masonry veneer to tie in the colors and design elements of the surrounding facilities.”

The builders are aiming for LEED Silver certification.  Construction is expected to be finished by next January.

McCarthy and SmithGroup have worked on other projects for the University of Arizona including the College of Medicine – Phoenix, the Arizona State Museum collections storage, and the South Stadium Parking Structure.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been named as a foundational partner for the to-be-built Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, located in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Boeing, which has worked with Virginia Tech for decades, will be kicking in $50 million, which will go towards the school’s scholarships, recruitment of faculty and researchers, as well as funding pathway programs for underserved K-12 students who are looking to pursue a college education in the STEM fields. Boeing’s donation ties for the largest gift ever made to Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech’s main campus is located in Blacksburg, Va., but the new Tech Innovation Campus will give the university a prime hold on real estate close to the nation’s political center and government sectors, which employ thousands of scientists. Virginia Tech aims for the Innovation Campus to be the most diverse graduate technology campus in the country.

Among other uses, funds donated by Boeing will be utilized to fund PhD fellowships, a student “success center” and a technology leadership program. In addition, the money will be used for a “scalable” K-12 STEM engagement program as well as youth programs aimed at expanding technology programs availability for younger students both near and far.

The 65-acre plot where the campus will be sited is being envisioned as a tech corridor for the city of Alexandria, further enriching this already-prosperous community on the Potomac River. Last year, the school reported that University Architect Liza Morris was working with designer SmithGroup and master planner Sasaki on the futuristic-looking campus.

In addition to its diversity initiative—a cornerstone of the school’s philosophy—an emphasis will be placed on directing students toward industry mentors as they navigate their coursework. Other programs will be tailored specifically to veterans.

“We are extremely grateful to Boeing for this extraordinarily generous show of support,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a recent statement. “This is a milestone moment in our university’s history, and it will propel our work to help establish the greater Washington, D.C., area as the world’s next major tech hub.”

Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun, himself a Virginia Tech alumnus, praised his alma mater’s historic vision to tackle the technological issues not only of the present but those that haven’t even been imagined yet.

“Boeing is dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion, both within our company and in our communities, and we look forward to partnering with Virginia Tech to build a robust and diverse STEM talent pipeline to drive the future of aerospace,” Calhoun said.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) echoed this positive atmosphere and can-do spirit.

“The U.S. must maintain international leadership in advancing technology, and talent is our most critical resource,” Warner said. “It’s exciting to see a world-class company like Boeing invest in a program that will help bolster the depth of our nation’s tech talent and drive economic growth in the Washington, D.C., region.”

Said Letitia Long, vice rector of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, an alumna of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering and a resident of Alexandria: “I hope every talented student who has an interest in computer science or computer engineering sees themselves at this campus one day.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the computer science and information technology fields will add 531,200 jobs by 2029. Virginia plans to produce 31,000 computer science and engineering graduates over the next two decades as part of its collaboration with 11 universities in the state as part of its Tech Talent Investment Program.

The university expects to welcome students, faculty and staff into the completed building in fall 2024.

When completed, the 300,000-square-foot building will provide instruction, research, office, and support spaces for graduate-level programs in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, as well as select other programs.

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The Academic 1 building, designed by SmithGroup, features a gem-shape design centered on the principles of sustainability, health and wellness, green and social spaces, accessibility, connectivity, flexibility, and integrated technology. It has been designed to achieve LEED Silver certification from the USGBC.

“I love it. It’s absolutely the kind of thing we’d like to see there on that campus,” Councilwoman Redella “Del” Pepper said. “It’s really extraordinary.”

The Innovation Campus will make its home on 3.5 acres in the 19-acre first phase of a new mixed-use development and innovation district in North Potomac Yard that JBG SMITH is developing near the future Potomac Yard Metrorail Station.

“This is a large milestone and another step forward in welcoming Virginia Tech and continuing the development,” said Councilman Canek Aguirre. “This building just puts a smile on my face. I’m ready to see some shovels in the dirt.”

Mayor Justin Wilson noted the context of Virginia Tech building its Innovation Campus at Potomac Yard, a former industrial rail site that was an economic engine for the city in an earlier generation.

After years of planning and work, “we are making this the economic engine for the city for the next generation,” he said.

Moments later, the city council voted 7-0 in support of a development special use permit that clears the way for construction of the 11-story, 300,000 square-foot structure to start next summer in North Potomac Yard. The university expects to welcome students, faculty, and staff into the completed building in fall 2024. Plans call for two other buildings, measuring about 150,000 square feet each, to be built as the campus grows.

When completed, the Academic 1 building will provide instruction, research, office, and support spaces for graduate-level programs in computer science and computer engineering, as well as select other programs. Experiential learning environments within this building will be designed to enhance the Virginia Tech experience including flexible multi-purpose areas, research and testing labs, and maker spaces.

SmithGroup utilized computational and generative design techniques to inform the building’s unique geometry. The form was sculpted to capture the sun’s light and energy to maximize photovoltaic power generation. The building will include a space frame to allow for a rooftop solar array, while plans incorporate photovoltaics directly into the glazing system throughout the facade.

At Saturday’s hearing, the city council also approved development special use permits for six buildings JBG SMITH will develop in phase one of the North Potomac Yard redevelopment. Those buildings will offer a mix of office, retail, and residential space and include an “Innovation Building” adjacent to the Virginia Tech campus.

Mayor Wilson praised the university and JBG SMITH for their willingness to work with the city to create a unique project that “plows new ground” for environmental sustainability and features innovative design.

“This is not the same old, same old. I really appreciate the fact that we are stepping up on the architecture side,” he said. “This would not have happened without some partners who were willing to join us in pushing the envelope. I really appreciate both Virginia Tech as well as JBG [SMITH] for stepping up and saying we’re willing to help the city meet some of these goals. We can approve master plan after master plan. Unless you have a willing partner, who is ready to make it a reality it’s not going to happen.”

Brandy Salmon, managing director of the Innovation Campus, also lauded the collaboration between Virginia Tech, JBG SMITH, and the City of Alexandria.

“It’s hard to overstate the work — so much great thinking, community outreach, negotiating, and compromising — that has been done to get us to this point,” she said. “It’s all worth it — because together we have created the framework to build something special from the ground up — a vibrant innovation district anchored by a new Virginia Tech campus where our faculty, students, and industry partners will come together.”

Virginia Tech Innovation Campus Vice President and Executive Director Lance Collins said the council’s approval builds on momentum that has continued despite the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is another clear signal that the innovation district momentum is building. We aren’t waiting to make an impact — that’s why we launched our inaugural class of students this year, hired a new chief operations officer, and are actively recruiting faculty and designing new programs,” he said. “Starting construction of the first academic building will be an exciting milestone and a visible reminder to the community of Virginia Tech’s commitment to the City of Alexandria.”

Through the state’s public procurement process, Virginia Tech has secured a pre-construction agreement with Whiting-Turner; a construction contract will be executed next year. The total project budget for Academic 1 is $275 million.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The first academic building for Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus in Alexandria features a design centered on the principles of sustainability, health and wellness, green and social spaces, accessibility, connectivity, flexibility and integrated technology.

Architectural renderings of the building — designed by SmithGroup, one of the world’s preeminent integrated design firms — were filed with the city this month as part of a Development Special Use Permit concept submittal.

“This project is a bellwether for what we are trying to achieve through our new campus, creating a place that provides the space and environment to foster collaboration and the creation of bold new ideas,” said Lance Collins, the incoming vice president and executive director of the Innovation Campus. “University Architect Liza Morris worked with SmithGroup, and our campus master planner, Sasaki, to create a unique project that has connectivity at its core.”

Virginia Tech announced plans for the new campus as part of the state’s successful bid to attract Amazon to the region. The Innovation Campus will make its home in the first phase of a new mixed-use development and innovation district in North Potomac Yard which JBG SMITH is developing, just steps away from the future Potomac Yard Metrorail Station.

The Innovation Campus will be comprised of three buildings on about four acres at the northern end of phase 1, near Alexandria’s border with Arlington County. The other six buildings in this phase will house office, residential and ground-level retail space, according to a preliminary plan filed last year with the city.

SmithGroup was chosen through a public process to provide integrated architecture and engineering design services for Academic 1. The university expects to break ground in 2021 and welcome students, faculty and staff into the completed building in fall 2024.

“We are proud to be working with Virginia Tech on this transformational new campus, which will change the face of computer science and redefine the role of the land-grant university for the 21st century,” said David Johnson of SmithGroup. “The university’s goal is to re-center computer engineering in a humanist context, and we brought to life an inclusive setting that will help accelerate knowledge creation and solutions at the intersection of humanity and technology.”

When completed, the 300,000-square-foot building will provide instruction, research, office, and support spaces for graduate-level programs in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, as well as select other programs. Experiential learning environments within this building will be designed to enhance the Virginia Tech experience including flexible multi-purpose areas, research and testing labs, and maker spaces.

SmithGroup is utilizing state-of-the-art computational and generative design techniques to inform the building’s unique geometry. The form was sculpted to capture the sun’s light and energy to maximize photovoltaic power generation. The building will be capped by a solar array and photovoltaics will be incorporated into the glass of the facade. It will also be staged to deploy sewage water energy exchange and geothermal energy to offset energy usage in future phasing.

The academic building incorporates opportunities for daylight, while addressing solar heat gain, glare and occupant comfort. Occupants will have access to nature through connection to open space and parks in the district, and within the building via multiple terraces. The ground floor will be welcoming and active, with exhibits in the lobby and transparency toward the campus green. The university can put science on display to better connect with the local community and attract future students.

SmithGroup is also taking inspiration from Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus by including dolomite limestone (“Hokie Stone”) in the landscape, and together with the university’s staff, is exploring special use of the stone at the base of the building, to balance the glass and metal facades with the warmth and solidity of natural stone.

“It’s exciting to finally be able to share our full vision for the campus,” said Morris, Virginia Tech’s assistant vice president for planning and university architect. “We also look forward to our continued collaboration with the City of Alexandria and JBG SMITH as we anchor this dynamic new innovation district.”

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