Bloomberg Center at Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University has created a world-class student center that serves as a social engagement hub for the Hopkins community. Featuring a food hall, studio theater, multi-purpose rooms and open lounge areas, the new Bloomberg Center provides enhanced spaces for student engagement, connection and community enrichment.

The design was conceptualized by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) as part of an international design competition, for which StructureCraft provided the structural competition concept. The building features a series of 29 cascading, stepped roof planes framed with mass timber panels supported by glulam beams and columns. Key design elements include extensive two-way cantilevered roof planes, timber panels with integrated acoustic treatment, and a transparent façade wrapping around the structure. Lateral forces are resisted by a mixture of concrete shear walls, cable braced frames, and CLT shear walls.

Due to procurement rules, our structural concept was continued by our colleagues at Knippers Helbig through the various stages of design. StructureCraft was then engaged by Clark Construction to provide detailed timber engineering, procurement, and construction services for the complete superstructure, in addition to providing structural peer review services on behalf of the university. One of the most complex projects we have been a part of, the Center creates a new standard of student experience for Johns Hopkins.