Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility. The new residence hall will double the capacity of the previous one and is estimated to be complete by the end of 2028.

The new facility is targeting a LEED Gold Certification, and it connects to a new hot water distribution line completed earlier this spring as part of infrastructure upgrades related to the John Hopkins Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. It will also feature a near-full-electric dining hall and facilities designed for ease of composting and recycling, the news release reports.

The university reached out to students and Resident Assistants during the design process, incorporating their feedback in areas like branding, food options, and lounge spaces. Five other existing residence halls will take in additional undergraduate students during construction, according to university news.

The university is also approaching the end of another major construction project, renovations to Milton S. Eisenhower Library. The library first opened in 1964 and is currently undergoing its first large-scale modernization ever. The project involves updates to health, safety, and mechanical systems; the construction of a grand staircase connecting al five levels; and a new overhead skylight. The library is anticipated to reopen to students during the spring 2027 semester.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.

  • University of Mary Washington Selects Builder for New Theater, Dance Facility

    The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., recently announced that it has selected construction and development firm Skanska to lead a series of renovations and upgrades to fine arts facilities, according to a news release.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • Esports are Growing in Popularity

    Video games and esports are a popular social hobby, and it’s one that’s accessible to a wide variety of physical ability levels. Some esport student-athletes have started to earn scholarship opportunities, and high schools are beginning to form teams equipped with the same degree of resources as their physical sports teams. However, the two have very different needs.