A Catalyst for Urban Revitalization

Located in the Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, The State of Maryland’s new J. Mehsen Public Health Laboratory uses public health as a major catalyst for urban revitalization, bringing jobs and purpose to East Baltimore, while enhancing the state’s ability to identify and respond to current and emerging public health threats. The lab is home to 212 employees who will conduct more than 10 million tests each year at the new location. The simple, rational and understated design stays true to the honest and straightforward character of traditional Baltimore architecture.

Key features of the design include:

• Upper floors house five scientific lab divisions: environmental chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, newborn and childhood screening, and virology/immunology.
• Laboratories are specifically designed for flexibility to accommodate changes in laboratory instruments, testing volumes, and methods leading to improved productivity and testing outcomes.
• Ground floor space is designed to engage the community with views into warmly-lit gallery space surrounding training space, conference rooms, and administrative functions.
• Open offices draw light deep into the building, reaching open labs in the center.
• A perforated sunscreen on the building’s east side exposes double-height lobby space and collaboration areas.