GHT is providing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design engineering services for a new flagship law center facility at a confidential academic institution in downtown Washington, DC.

The 200,000-square-foot building will greatly enhance the student experience by expanding instructional capacity, improving connectivity across campus, and creating a welcoming gateway to the Law Campus. This project follows GHT’s recent completion of a nearby academic building on the same campus.

The new facility, designed by the architectural firm Pei Cobb, will rise seven stories and include 16 classrooms ranging in size from 24 to 75 seats, a 75-seat moot courtroom designed to support an award-winning student competition program, and a state-of-the-art clinical suite for one of the nation’s most respected legal clinics. In addition to classrooms and academic program spaces, the building will offer generous indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, cutting-edge convening rooms, and a range of student-centered amenities designed to support collaboration, study, and community-building.

To support the institution’s goals for energy efficiency and wellness, GHT’s engineering design integrates a full range of sustainable strategies, including rooftop solar arrays, a stormwater reuse system, and energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems. The building is targeting LEED Gold certification. Ten landscaped terraces will provide green space throughout the upper floors, which also feature panoramic views of the U.S. Capitol.

With a focus on environmental performance and user experience, GHT’s MEP solutions are carefully coordinated to support the building’s architectural expression while meeting high standards for comfort, acoustics, and system reliability. The result is a modern academic facility that reinforces the institution’s long-term vision for legal education, leadership, and public service.

All images provided courtesy of Pei Cobb Architects.