The new Bloomberg Student Center at Johns Hopkins University is a vibrant hub for student life and collaboration, designed to foster connection, creativity, and community across campus. Spanning approximately 150,000 SF, the facility offers spaces for dining, relaxation, creative and performing arts, and student support services, creating a flexible, light-filled environment that accommodates a wide variety of student activities. The building features a distinctive design with interconnected, stepped roof planes. Its mass timber structure provides warmth and acoustic comfort while supporting the university’s sustainability goals, resulting in a modern, inviting, and environmentally responsible space for students, faculty, and visitors.

In collaboration with Shepley Bulfinch and Bjarke Ingels Group, Code Red Consultants served as the project’s fire protection, life safety, and accessibility code advisor, working closely with the design team to develop a coordinated strategy that demonstrated compliance with the City of Baltimore’s building and fire codes while supporting the project’s ambitious design vision. A key focus was the development of a performance-based approach for the building’s dramatic atrium, using advanced modeling and analysis to design an effective smoke management strategy that maintained both occupant safety and the openness of the space. Code Red Consultants also partnered with the City of Baltimore Building Department to secure approval for thoughtful, forward-looking solutions, including designing restroom facilities based on anticipated occupant loads and implementing gender-neutral restroom layouts with shared lavatories. Throughout the process, our team addressed the unique challenges associated with mass timber construction and high occupant density, helping the project achieve full code compliance while preserving the architectural intent.