HOK to Provide Comprehensive Design Services for New National Cancer Institute Premier Research Campus

WASHINGTON, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington office of HOK has been selected to provide comprehensive design services for the new National Cancer Institute premier research campus, which will be built in Montgomery County, Md., as a part of the John Hopkins University property in the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center.

The JBG Companies, with HOK as a part of its team, was chosen by the General Services Administration to build and own the new $200 million, 10-acre development, which will house some 2,100 employees engaged in some of the world's premier research on cancer.  The synergy of the juxtapositioning of NCI, Johns Hopkins University and the Life Sciences Center was an obvious attraction for the location.  

The competition for the award to The JBG Companies took about two years as the GSA and NCI sought to find an optimal site for its relocation from its current offices along Executive Plaza and East Jefferson Street in Rockville.

HOK will provide planning, architecture, tenant improvements and landscaping for the 575,000 square feet building, which will comprise two, seven-story towers connected with a shared entry into a welcoming lobby located between the towers.  HOK will also lead the sustainable design team on the project, which developer JBG has targeted for certification at the LEED Gold level.

Included on the campus will be retail shops and an array of sustainable design elements.  The new Corridor Cities Transitway, a light-rail extension that is planned to be added to the end of Metro's Red Line, will bring mass transit to the site and extend from the Shady Grove Metro stop to Clarksburg, Md.

NCI has indicated that it wants the new building to feature a number of attributes that contribute to a health way of living.  There will be a fitness center on the campus, and there will be other design elements to stimulate a healthy life and work environment. Nearly 100 percent of all occupied spaces will have direct access to natural light.

Construction is projected to begin in October 2010, with completion slated for 2013.  James G. Davis Construction, Inc., will be the general contractor.

HOK is a global architectural firm that specializes in planning, design and delivery solutions for buildings and communities.  Through its collaborative network of 26 offices worldwide, the firm serves diverse clients within the corporate, commercial, public and institutional markets.  HOK is committed to developing resources and expertise to help lead the world toward sustainable communities and building environments.  Founded in 1955, the firm's expertise includes architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, lighting, graphics, facilities planning and assessment and construction services.

SOURCE HOK