The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., has opened Hopper Hall, which houses the Center for Cyber Security Studies.
The Navy says the $143 million facility is the institution's most modern academic building. It is named for Rear Adm. Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer programming. It is also the first academic building at a major U.S. service academy to be named for a woman.
"Admiral Hopper was a fierce advocate of investing in our youth and training the next generation of leaders," says the U.S. Naval Academy's 63rd Superintendent, Vice Adm. Sean Buck.
"I think she would be incredibly pleased with the expanded learning and research opportunities for our midshipmen provided through the construction of Hopper Hall. These facilities are critical to the success of our Cyber Studies curriculum and our ability to commission officers fluent in cyber operations for the Fleet."
The architect is Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and the builder is Turner Construction.
Hopper Hall is situated among the modernist Nimitz Library and Rickover Hall. The new building’s architecture is inspired by its neighbors, both in its massing and its materiality, the architect says in a news release.
The facility features a horizontal massing and a regular grid of punched windows that resemble the designs of the adjacent buildings, and its precast concrete facade echoes the color and texture of the stone and concrete surrounding Isherwood Terrace.
The project was designed with a goal of achieving LEED Silver certification, primarily by optimizing air quality, water use, energy performance, its window-to-wall ratio, and in its resiliency measures.
Video: Navy unveils Hopper Hall (YouTube).
