Angelos Law Center

The John and Frances Angelos Law Center stands as a transformative gateway to the University of Baltimore campus and a bold architectural addition to the city skyline. Located on a prominent urban site adjacent to Baltimore’s Penn Station, the 12-story, 192,000-square-foot tower unites the School of Law’s previously dispersed classrooms, offices, administrative suites, and library collections under one roof for the first time in its history. The building supports evolving pedagogies in legal education through collaborative learning environments, dynamic circulation paths, and generous daylighting.

Three interlocking program volumes—housing the law library, classrooms, and faculty/administrative spaces—are organized around a soaring multi-level atrium that rises to a rooftop skylight. This central space connects instructional and social functions, encourages informal interaction among students and faculty, and reinforces a sense of community within an otherwise vertical academic environment. Interior ramps, stairs, and walkways link levels, while color-coded cores enhance wayfinding and orient users throughout the building.

High-Performance Systems for a Model Sustainable Law School

In partnership with Ayers Saint Gross and Behnisch Architekten, Mueller provided full MEP engineering services for this nationally recognized project, the first LEED Platinum law school in the United States. The building was designed to reduce energy consumption by 43% and water use by 56% compared with baseline standards—an achievement enabled by an integrated and highly efficient MEP strategy tailored to the building’s unique form and programmatic complexity.

Key engineering features include:

• Thermo-active radiant slab flooring providing both heating and cooling through the exposed concrete structure

• Automated natural ventilation system using operable windows and sensors to modulate fresh air

• Advanced digital lighting controls with LEDs and photocells responsive to abundant daylight

• Rainwater harvesting systems supporting non-potable water use

• High-performance façade and automated exterior shade control systems managing solar heat gain

• Green roofs that reduce stormwater runoff and contribute to the campus’s ecological goals

A comprehensive climate and daylight analysis informed building orientation, façade design, and mechanical system selection. To further reduce embodied carbon, fly ash was used in the concrete mix, avoiding an estimated 1.7 million pounds of CO₂ emissions.

An Iconic Academic Building with Enduring Impact

Winner of more than 20 national and international design awards, including ENR’s “Best of the Best”, the Angelos Law Center represents a new standard for sustainable academic facilities. Its sophisticated systems, transparent architecture, and high-efficiency design demonstrate the University of Baltimore’s deep commitment to environmental stewardship, student well-being, and academic excellence.