Applied Physics Laboratory Building 14

RK&K supported the project effort to obtain LEED Silver certification for the design and construction of a 220,000 GSF office and laboratory building on a five acre area of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. The civil engineering sustainable design for the project included site selection evaluation, brownfield redevelopment analysis, evaluation of alternate transportation solutions and stormwater design.

Stormwater management design included eight micro-bioretention facilities and five areas of pervious pavement integrated into the site design to provide quality control treatment for 100% of the proposed impervious area on the site providing treatment for the first 1.2” of rainfall. The 100 year storm was managed adjacent to the site utilizing existing stormwater ponds which were evaluated and found to have sufficient capacity to successfully manage the design storm. Erosion sediment design in compliance with state and local requirements reduced construction pollution and waterway sedimentation by preventing soil erosion and airborne dust during construction.

Specifically, the project included design for the following civil engineering related LEED Scorecard sections:

• SSP1 (Construction Activity Pollution Prevention): Prepared erosion sediment design in compliance with state and local requirements to reduce construction pollution and waterway sedimentation by preventing soil erosion and airborne dust during construction.
• SSc1 (Site Selection): During design evaluated the site to determine it was free of environmentally sensitive lands to reduce the impact from the selected location of the building
• SSc3 (Brownfield Redevelopment): This site was an infill site, with previous utility development. Design accommodated the removal of asbestos pipes through abatement during construction.
• SSc4 (Alternative Transportation-Parking Capacity): No new parking capacity was created with this project.
• SSc6.1 (Stormwater Design-Quantity Control): The 100 year storm was managed adjacent to the site utilizing existing stormwater ponds which were evaluated and found to have sufficient capacity to successfully manage the design storm.
• SSc6.2 (Stormwater Design-Quality Control): Eight micro-bioretention facilities and five areas of pervious pavement were integrated into the site design to provide quality control treatment for 100% of the proposed impervious area on the site. Facilities provided treatment for the first 1.2” of rainfall.

The project is currently under review by USGBC and is anticipated to receive notice of certification in 2021.