M.C. Dean’s Engineering & Construction (E&C) team overcame unique architectural challenges to deliver a state-of-the-art, LEED-Platinum rated, student center building for Johns Hopkins University. The 138,000 square-foot building merges design excellence with sustainability to serve as a hub for over 28,000 students and community members.
Sustainability was at the core of this project’s design, with their team innovating to support the university’s ambitious energy goals while installing 571 power and lighting assemblies and 70,000+ linear feet of prefabricated conduit. 1,500 solar panels were installed across 29 unique roof structures, powering this building almost entirely on renewable energy.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team’s hard work and dedication in delivering such a complex project,” said Bill Knott, M.C. Dean vice president of E&C. “This success adds to our 20-year partnership with Johns Hopkins University, who turned to us for proven power and technology expertise and respect for aesthetics.”
One of the project’s most complex challenges was installing electrical systems within the building’s all-wood structure. We worked closely with the design partners to discreetly conceal conduit in the interior, preserving the building’s architectural integrity.
The project began in the winter of 2022 and wrapped in the summer of 2025, exceeding the university’s expectations. This was M.C. Dean’s sixth project with Johns Hopkins – with their seventh, the Children’s Medical & Surgical Center, currently underway. Their latest win with the university includes power systems and infrastructure for a new Life Sciences Building to be complete in 2029.