Johns Hopkins University is transforming the former Newseum at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue into a vibrant, visible hub, close to the U.S. Capitol. The new space will include over 400,000 square feet for educational uses, as well as for public events. Johns Hopkins will consolidate its Washington, D.C. real estate at this new site.  

Heintges worked on the Newseum’s facades and skylight systems from Concept through Site  Inspections. The goals behind JHU’s purchase of the museum and its transformation into a new center for the university include creating a visible new identity for the building from the outside, while adding floor space inside. The impact of both existing and new building structure, HVAC, and building maintenance issues are being carefully coordinated with other Design Team consultants. Two lines of defense against air and water are critical, and the challenging interfaces between  Newseum’s original systems and JHU’s new facade systems need to be flexible enough to accommodate differential movements. In terms of sustainability features, the new systems will have improved thermal performance, passive solar control through simulated copper mesh in glass and deep exterior sunshades, improved daylighting, and superior condensation resistance.  

Heintges provided building envelope consulting services during ongoing design and construction phases.