Baltimore, MD
Johns Hopkins University
Client Story
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) was founded in 1876 as a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. To accommodate expansion, the university relocated to its current campus in 1902, with many academic halls beginning construction during this time.
SGH’s relationship with JHU is multi-faceted. Since the 1980s, we have collaborated with the university on projects, with an emphasis on rehabilitating and preserving the campus buildings. SGH staff have also contributed expertise in a teaching capacity, bringing practical knowledge to the classroom for the next generation of engineers.
A Trusted Partnership
The university is committed to preserving its historic architecture and has turned to SGH for long-term solutions for its buildings. Together, we’ve teamed up on projects—from new construction requiring innovative design solutions to original architecture needing long-term rehabilitation plans. Our approach campus-wide is to provide JHU with solutions that meet immediate needs while standing the test of time.
Built to Last
A recent example of SGH’s partnership with JHU is an evaluation and rehabilitation project at Krieger Hall, an academic building on the Keiser Quad originally built in 1929. The building connects to Ames Hall through a vestibule and colonnade walkway to the west and adjoins an elevated plaza over the library to the east. Issues including stone deterioration, movement and distress at the colonnade and vestibule, and water leakage into occupied, below-grade spaces plagued the building for many years but were difficult to diagnose given the complex construction of the interconnected structures.
With an emphasis on preserving the building’s appearance and nearby old-growth trees, SGH investigated the below-grade construction and developed repairs that mitigated leakage and addressed damage. Leveraging our technical professionals’ various perspectives and expertise allowed SGH to implement a long-term preservation solution for Krieger Hall. A multidisciplinary approach including specialists in waterproofing, preservation, and materials, as well as civil, structural, and geotechnical engineers, contributed to the project’s success.
A Legacy of Teaching
SGH was founded in 1956 by three engineering professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and that emphasis on education continues to be an essential tenet of our culture. In addition to our project work on campus, many SGH staff have served as guest lecturers, adjunct professors, or taught classes related to structural design, rehabilitation, and investigation for the university’s Department of Civil and Systems Engineering. In the early 2000s, our team members helped design the senior design class curricula and taught it for many years.
We strive to create a lasting impact on the university, not only through our projects but in shaping the engineering profession’s next leaders through our teaching work. We value JHU as a place to apply our expertise to improve and protect the campus and to share knowledge from years of technical and field experience with future engineers.
Key team members
