About the Commons

The Brody Learning Commons will be a four-story hub for collaborative learning situated directly south of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library. Named to honor former Johns Hopkins University president William R. Brody and his wife, Wendy, the facility recognizes the Brodys’ longstanding commitment to the Hopkins community and will provide the kind of 21st century research and study spaces today’s students require.

The building is scheduled to open in July 2012 and will add more than 500 new seats , increasing the Library’s seating capacity by almost a third. It will connect to the Eisenhower Library on several floors and house an iconic quiet reading room, 15 new group study rooms, several smart technology classrooms and seminar rooms, a new atrium and cafe, as well as a new teaching and research suite for the Department of Special Collections and a new heritage science conservation laboratory for the Department of Conservation and Preservation.

Designed by Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson & Abbott, the Brody Learning Commons is the first new construction project on the Homewood campus to pursue LEED silver certification. This certification is a nationally recognized mark of excellence in the areas of innovation and sustainability and is part of the university’s commitment to environmental leadership by example.