Built & Natural Environments

JHU developed policies to improve space utilization in new and existing buildings that can maximize occupancy and efficiency, support occupant well-being, and reduce pressure on land development.

• JHU’s Workplace Guidelines establish practices for the design of offices, workstations, support spaces, and amenities
  • As offices are one of the largest space uses at JHU, the guidelines will have significant impact in realizing the university’s climate and sustainability goals
  • Current new construction and major renovation projects at Homewood and East Baltimore have been designed in alignment with these guidelines
• Learning Environment Guidelines were also developed alongside the design of multiple classroom renovations in Shaffer and Remsen Halls, which served as test cases
  • The guidelines establish ideal and baseline configurations and performance criteria for classroom renovation projects to create spaces that support teaching and learning, student success, and occupant well-being
  • Providing Supportive Environments was a key pillar of the Guidelines, prioritizing views to the outdoors and natural light, ergonomics, temperature control, appropriate lighting, and durability and sustainability of material selections
  • All Registrar-managed classrooms on the Homewood campus will be required to comply with the guidelines, and the document will be a resource for divisions and other campuses

JHU’s HPHB Requirements were developed to meet the university’s sustainability, health, and well-being goals for new construction and major renovation projects.

• The HPHB Requirements were endorsed in Spring of 2024 and have been implemented on a number of new construction, major renovation, and modification projects since then.
  • The Early Learning Center was the first new construction project, resulting in a highly energy-efficient building and more than 53% energy savings compared to a code-compliant building
  • The Milton S. Eisenhower Library was the first major renovation project to implement the requirements, focusing on improving indoor air quality and connecting to the Homewood Power Plant through an efficient hot water loop
• The HPHB Requirements establish a LEED Gold minimum requirement.
  • LEED is a globally recognized third-party framework, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, which certifies buildings on a range of holistic sustainability criteria
  • While JHU has been using LEED since its inception in 1998, systematizing its use will ensure all buildings meet similar levels of environmental benefits and occupant comfort
• A working group of JHU facilities staff developed a set of tools to support the implementation of the HPHB Requirements, including a compliance checklist and a life cycle cost analysis tool to compare the cost of different design strategies over the life cycle of the building.

Divisions have also focused on reducing the environmental impact of maintaining their buildings by adopting green cleaning practices:  

• APL switched to an aqueous ozone solution, which is expected to reduce chemical cleaning purchases by 70% to 80%   

• The Bloomberg School of Public Health obtained Green Seal Certification, an industry-leading certification for green cleaning, by adopting new cleaning products and procedures that meet a high benchmark of safety, efficacy, and occupant health 
• Homewood implemented a Green Cleaning Building Policy which focuses on the use of cleaning products that are non-hazardous and biodegradable

Buildings owned by third-parties and leased to JHU have been included in the university’s greenhouse gas inventory since 2022, representing about 200 buildings, over 2.5M sq ft, and 13% of JHU’s total emissions in 2024.

JHU has improved its knowledge and tracking of its tree inventory and canopy to be able to measure progress:

• A Homewood Campus tree inventory and GIS map were completed, improving data and recordkeeping on the university’s tree species and canopy.
• The Office of Climate and Sustainability partnered with JHFRE Information Services to use Nearmap, an aerial imagery software, to calculate detailed tree canopy area for all campuses – allowing JHU to measure growth in tree canopy coverage over time.

3 Campus as a Living Lab projects leveraged Homewood Campus grounds to explore sustainability innovations, including:

• Environmental Health and Engineering research project to measure the stormwater management efficacy of the water retention basin at Olin Pond
• Whiting School of Engineering course on maximizing rainwater storage for irrigation
• Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences course on forested ecosystems

2 vegetable gardens are currently active at JHU and open to the local community:

• The Blue Jay’s Perch community garden located at Eastern Campus
• A raised bed garden on the Homewood Campus Wyman parcel

  

JHU’s HPHB Requirements necessitate teams to enhance stormwater management on their project site, accounting for increased storm intensity in future climate models, allowing JHU to assess, adapt, and better manage climate-related risks.