Structure Magazine recently published an article on the The John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Building 201, which was designed for the multidisciplinary group at the Research and Exploratory Development Department (REDD). The article discusses the innovative structure that supports a design focused on human interactions with regards to collaboration amongst teams of scientists and engineers and their specialized laboratories, facilities, and offices that continually evolve.
As detailed in the article, Building 201 tells a story of our ever-evolving future for technical, engineering, and scientific challenges. Seen from below, the fourth floor seems to be flying or floating. It transitions from the three lower floors at the end of an outdoor courtyard, from concrete to steel framing, and is a defining feature of the building. The fourth floor is supported by asymmetrically arranged, three-story columns as a metaphor of REDD team’s core mission of bringing together diverse teams for one purpose.
APL required stringent Vibration Criteria (VC) for the upper level lab spaces to support their research. Colin Gordon Associates worked with CannonDesign to develop a thick reinforced concrete slab design for both VC-A and VC-B performance. This design was for the laboratory and office wings that could easily be converted to research space for future flexibility.