On Feb. 20, the Baltimore City Department of Planning’s Urban Design and Architecture Advisory Panel (UDAAP) reviewed plans regarding the Alumni Memorial Residence (AMR) I residence hall renovations. During this meeting, the University presented schematic designs of the new student housing and dining facility to the UDAAP.
The new four-story building, set to replace AMR I, will feature over 160,000 square feet of residential space with 400 traditional, dormitory-style beds, marking an increase in capacity from the approximately 196 students the dorm currently houses. The new structure aligns with the University’s long-term goal of providing on-campus housing for over 80% of undergraduate students.
In addition to housing, the facility will include a 500-seat dining hall, serving as the new central dining space for students. The dining hall will have 6 dining stations as well as provide Late Night and Take Out options. The design aims to create a strong connection with the surrounding campus, particularly the Beach, a popular student gathering space.
The University’s presentation to UDAAP marked the first formal design review of the project, with construction expected to begin in summer 2026 and completion anticipated by 2028.
One of the primary discussion points during the UDAAP review was the project’s architectural approach. The University representatives emphasized their intent to preserve the traditional aesthetic of AMR I, honoring the history of the residence hall, which was built in 1923, while incorporating modern improvements.
UDAAP member and registered architect Osborne Anthony stated that most of the moves being taken are contextual gestures, and asked why this style of architecture has been chosen.
Senior Director for Planning and Architecture on the Johns Hopkins Facilities and Real Estate team Lee Coyle responded that these stylistic choices were made considering the alumni’s perception of the AMR buildings as an University tradition to be maintained.
The University’s AMR I presentation additionally included the plan to expand the building into the freshman quad. UDAAP Chairperson Pavlina Ilieva asked whether a scheme that is more of an H shape instead of a U shape would be considered since it would still work and end up saving some trees.
VMDO Architects representative and architect Jim Richardson answered that, although this suggestion was considered, the service needs of the University dining facilities had redirected them to the current plan and that the University did not want the delivery trucks to drive further into the site.
Accessibility improvements were also discussed. Unlike AMR I, which lacks elevators and automatic doors, the new building will include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant pathways and entrances. A question was posed whether the ADA ramp entrance was too far from the main entrance, and Coyle responded that people will disabilities will also access the same entrance from both Charles Street and the Quad.
UDAAP representative and landscape architect Sharon Bradly expressed positive comments on the project, stating that she appreciated that the University is utilizing what worked well with the previous building and the ADA compliant slope.
Bradly suggested that removing some of the plantings along Charles Street to allow for seating facing the street would be useful. Anthony provided additional feedback, stating that there should be a clearer separation between AMR I and the dining hall.
Ilieva highlighted how traditional and modern approaches of architecture could be combined in this project, and expressed concerns regarding the scale of these plans in comparison to the surrounding buildings. She also suggested that, to make the building more inviting, the walls that lead into the dining hall plaza could be broadened and terraces could be made more integral and meaningful to the project.
Further recommendations included providing sitting spaces along the wall facing Charles Street and making the massing of the dining hall more contemporary, similar to the new Student Center. The University will consider working on a Schematic Plan for construction, with consideration of the recommendations made,
In light of the University’s plans to renovate AMR I, freshman residents expressed their opinions and shared the sentimental value of the residence hall to them. In an email to The News-Letter, freshman Arjun Jasuja shared his feelings toward the news.
“Honestly, I think it's bittersweet that my freshman dorm building will be torn down,” Jasuja wrote. “The [AMR I] dorms are very reminiscent of a typical college dorm, and I'll miss it dearly during my future years at Hopkins.”
Looking to the future, freshman Manyaa Bhatia expressed her positive expectations for the renovations as a vessel for building community in a email to The News-Letter.
“[The AMR 1] renovations that provide a view of the surrounding campus would definitely help incoming freshmen classes develop a stronger sense of the community around them,” Bhatia wrote.
