BIG has been selected by Johns Hopkins University to design the Hopkins Student Center, or ‘The Village.’ The project will be an open, modern, welcoming facility that will act as a social engagement hub for all members of the Hopkins community.
The 150,000-sf building will include spaces for relaxation and socialization, creative and performing arts spaces, student resources and support spaces, lounges, a digital media center, a performance space with seating for 200 people, and a dining hall that connects directly to a new plaza along Charles Street.
The Village will be strategically located on campus at the intersection of 33rd and Charles Streets and is conceived as a central living room surrounded by a collection of spaces tailored to the needs of the Hopkins community. It will turn the area into a hub that acts as a natural gateway connecting Charles Village and more than 3,500 Hopkins students who live in the neighborhood, to the heart of the Homewood campus.
Upon entering The Village, visitors will be met with a cascading interior landscape of dining, performance, lounging, and socializing. The mass timber structure will provide a warm and acoustically comfortable environment filled with natural light that filters between photovoltaic roof panels.
The interior landscape comprises a cluster of flexible spaces that open out on to four rejuvenated public spaces: an events-focused commons, the shaded paths of the Grove, an entry plaza at 33rd Street, and a new food market and plaza to the south. A new central plaza will also be included that can host pop-up exhibits or performances, vendors, and food trucks.
The Hopkins Student Center is set to begin construction in spring 2022 and is slated for completion by fall 2024. BIG is teaming with Shepley Bulfinch (Architect of Record), Rockwell Group (interior design), and Michael Van Valkenburg Associates (landscape design) on the project.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Mar 1, 2016
The 5 most questionable college and university rankings of 2015
SmithGroupJJR's David Lantz identifies five of the most flawed higher education rating systems, including ones with arbitrary categories, and others that equate college with a transactional investment.
University Buildings | Feb 29, 2016
4 factors driving the student housing market
In the hyper-competitive higher education sector, colleges and universities view residence halls as extensions of their academic brands, both on and off campus.
University Buildings | Feb 17, 2016
New ideas to help universities attract and empower STEM students
Educational institutions are focusing on new learning strategies that engage students in activities, enable collaboration across STEM disciplines, and encourage students to use their hands just as much as their heads, as Stephen Blair of CannonDesign writes.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 1, 2016
Top 10 kitchen design trends for 2016
Charging stations, built-in coffeemakers, and pet stations—these are among the top kitchen design trends for the coming year, according to a new survey of kitchen and bath designers by the National Kitchen & Bath Association.
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Greenbuild Report | Dec 10, 2015
AASHE’s STARS tool highlights the university sector’s holistic approach to sustainability
Buzzwords like “living lab” and “experiential learning” are indicative of the trend toward more holistic sustainability programs that incorporate all facets of college life.
University Buildings | Nov 5, 2015
How active design is reshaping higher education campuses
Active design, a dynamic approach to design with a primary focus on people, assists students in learning to make healthy choices, writes LPA's Glenn Carels.
University Buildings | Nov 4, 2015
Yale completes Singapore campus
The Yale-NUS College has three residence halls and two administrative and academic buildings, with courtyards in the middle of them all.
University Buildings | Oct 16, 2015
5 ways architecture defines the university brand
People gravitate to brands for many reasons. Campus architecture and landscape are fundamental influences on the college brand, writes Perkins+Will's David Damon.
University Buildings | Oct 16, 2015
Competency-based learning: A glimpse into the future of higher education?
For better or worse, the higher education experience for many young Millennials and Gen Zers will not resemble the four-year, life-altering experience that we enjoyed—it’s just too costly.
