Submitted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology

April 5, 2018

Draft Review

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

Campus Master Plan

Gaithersburg, Maryland

_______________
Location

2
“To promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by 

advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways 

that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.”

Mission

3
Surrounding Context

NIST

N

4
Surrounding Context

NIST

N

5
Surrounding Context

NIST

residential N

parkland

6
• Rolling terrain, dotted with trees and wooded areas

• 62 buildings and structures, totaling over 3.6 million gross square feet of space

• 4,000 personnel (both employees and associates)

• Approximately half of the permanent buildings are currently over 50 years old

• Campus features modern architectural design of the late 1950s and the 1960s 

NIST

Campus Setting

7
8

Existing Campus

N
9

Laboratories / 

Administration

Support

Specialty 

Laboratories

Existing Campus
10

Existing Campus

N
11

Existing Campus
12

NIST Historic District/Core
13

Existing Campus
14

D

E

Existing Campus
15

D

E

C

F

A

B

Existing Campus
16

D

E

C

F

A

B

Existing Campus
17

D

E

C

F

A

B

Existing Campus
18

Existing Parking

NCPC Goal 1:2.0

Overall Campus 1:1.5

Existing Campus
19

Draft Campus Master Plan
20

Assumptions

• Future programming requires 1.4 

million gross square feet of new 

space

• 1,100 employee increase

Draft Campus Master Plan
21

Draft Campus Master Plan

Outcomes

• Energy conservation

• Growth in a flexible manner

• Consolidated delivery/shipping and 

receiving/ and conference visitor 

processing

• Better campus security

• More environmentally sustainable, 

active campus. 
22

Goals

• Increase total forest land area to 15% (Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning)

• Increase total tree canopy area to 40% by 2025 (Maryland Department of the Environment)

• Treat 20% of all future impervious surface area runoff (Maryland Department of the Environment)

• Reduce nutrient / sediment stormwater runoff loads equivalent to treatment of 20% of pre-1985 

impervious surface area by 2025 (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act)

• Attain the following NIST building performance goals:

- Daylight 75% of all regularly-occupied interior building space

- Supply 30% of campus hot water demand with solar technology

- Supply 30% of campus electrical needs with renewable sources by FY25

- Reduce energy intensity by 25% by FY 25

Draft Campus Master Plan
23

Draft Campus Master Plan
24

Core Development

Gate F

Gate A

Pedestrian Promenade

Draft Campus Master Plan
25

Core Development

Draft Campus Master Plan
26

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E Alternative F

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse
27

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E Alternative F

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

Capturing the Courtyards
28

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E Alternative F

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

Extending Connections
29

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E Alternative F

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

Creating a New Precinct
30

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E Alternative F

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

Capturing the Center
31

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E Alternative F

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

Functional Organization
32

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

New Research Emphasis

Alternative F
33

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

Alternative F

New Research Emphasis
34

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

Alternative F

New Research Emphasis
35

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative A Alternative B Alternative C

Alternative D Alternative E

new research 

space

new 

administrative 

space

renovation

concourse

Alternative F

New Research Emphasis
36

Core Development

Draft Campus Master Plan
37

Draft Campus Master Plan

Alternative F

• All new construction for 

research uses

• Reinforces pedestrian 

concourse spine

• Respects traditional historic 

core boundary

• Redevelops largest area of 

surface parking
38

Gate A

Draft Campus Master Plan
39

Draft Campus Master Plan

Option 2

Option 1

Option 3
40

Draft Campus Master Plan

Gate F
41

Draft Campus Master Plan

Option 3

Option 2

Option 1

Option 4
42

Draft Campus Master Plan

Option 3

Option 2

Option 1

Option 4
43

Draft Campus Master Plan

Option 3

Option 2

Option 1

Option 4
44

Draft Campus Master Plan

Commercial Vehicle 

Inspection Area

Option 4

Shipping & Receiving 

Building

Visitor 

Screening

Security 

Gate
45

Draft Campus Master Plan

Commercial Vehicle 

Inspection Area

Option 4

Shipping & Receiving 

Building

Visitor 

Screening

Security 

Gate
46

Draft Campus Master Plan

Commercial Vehicle 

Inspection Area

Option 4

Shipping & Receiving 

Building

Visitor 

Screening

Security 

Gate
47

Draft Campus Master Plan

Commercial Vehicle 

Inspection Area

Option 4

Shipping & Receiving 

Building

Visitor 

Screening

Security 

Gate
48

Draft Campus Master Plan

Commercial Vehicle 

Inspection Area

Option 4

Shipping & Receiving 

Building

Visitor 

Screening

Security 

Gate
49

Draft Campus Master Plan

Commercial Vehicle 

Inspection Area

Option 4

Shipping & Receiving 

Building

Visitor 

Screening

Security 

Gate
50

Draft Campus Master Plan

Gate F
51

Pedestrian Promenade

Draft Campus Master Plan
52

Pedestrian Promenade

Draft Campus Master Plan

Building 101

future CCT stop
53

Draft Campus Master Plan

Landscape Plan
54

Draft Campus Master Plan

Landscape Plan

new meadow areas

new forested areas
55

Draft Campus Master Plan

Stormwater

Management Plan
56

Draft Campus Master Plan

Connectivity Plan
57

Draft Campus Master Plan

Sustainability Plan
58

Draft Campus Master Plan

Gate F

Gate A

Core Development

Phase 1: Immediate Priorities
59

Draft Campus Master Plan

Phase 2: Next Step Projects

Building 101
60

Draft Campus Master Plan

Phase 3: Program Expansion

new garage

new labs
61

Draft Campus Master Plan

Independent Projects
62

Draft Campus Master Plan
63

Future Access / Travel

Future Parking

NCPC Goal 1:2.0

Overall 1:1.9

Federal Employees 1:2.0

Non-Federal Employees 1:1.7
64

Future Access / Travel
65

Future Access / Travel
66

NIST

Future Access / Travel

King Farm

Shady Grove

Lakelands

Downtown Crowne

Washington Grove

Kentlands

Rio
67

Future Access / Travel

NIST

King Farm

Shady Grove

Washington Grove

Lakelands

Downtown Crowne

Kentlands

Rio
68

Future Access / Travel

NIST

Kentlands

King Farm

Washington Grove

Lakelands

Shady Grove

Rio

future development
69

Future Access / Travel

Potential Travel Demand Management Elements

• Identify TDM Coordinator for the campus and develop multi-year plan

• Provide interior campus shuttle

• Improve on-site bicycle amenities, with secured bicycle parking/storage facilities and convenient 

shower/changing facilities

• Identify (and fund if necessary) locations for Capital Bikeshare locations

• Establish employee parking permit system with designated spaces

• Provide reserved, convenient carpool/vanpool parking

• Install a transportation information screen in the lobby of Building 101 and/or other employeefrequented locations to show real-time information regarding buses that serve the campus 

directly, interior campus shuttle, shuttles to MARC/Metrorail, and other multimodal 

transportation options that serve the campus
70

Executive Director’s Recommendation

The Commission:

Approves the following comments on the draft campus plan for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Gaithersburg campus.

Supports the Alternative F development concept, which concentrates new development in the campus center (historic core) to facilitate research; 

preserves the campus’s open space character; and adds more programmable outdoor spaces to facilitate professional collaboration.

Finds that Alternative F most successfully provides for NIST’s research mission, while preserving the historic campus core and integrating new 

sustainable development measures.

Historic Preservation

Notes that the Maryland Historic Trust (State Historic Preservation Office) has determined the campus is eligible for inclusion in the National Register

of Historic Places “for its association with events that made important contributions to the broad patterns of history under the Science and Technology

and Postwar Research Campus Design themes, and as a recognizable entity that embodies the characteristic of Post War Research Campus design.”

Finds that Alternative F best preserves the campus core’s existing grid pattern of development, formal landscape, large-scale monumental buildings, 

and general/specialized laboratories, identified as hallmarks of postwar research campus design.

Commends NIST’s careful consideration of the campus’s unique historic character throughout the planning and design process.

Sustainability

Supports the National Institute of Standards & Technology’s effort to meet federal and State sustainability goals at its Gaithersburg campus through 

integrated, campus-wide strategies related to stormwater management, landscaping, and energy-efficiency.

Finds that all of the proposed alternatives, including Alternative F, convert significant amounts of manicured property to new forests and meadows; 

identify a campus-wide system of rain gardens, bioswales, and planter boxes; and identify future solar panel installations and net-zero energy 

buildings.
71

Executive Director’s Recommendation

The Commission:

Access/Transportation

Supports NIST’s plans to develop a new pedestrian promenade between the adjacent Corridor Cities Transitway station and campus core, new interior 

campus trail network, additional sidewalks/crosswalks, bikeshare stations, and new external bicycle trails to encourage pedestrian, bicycle, and transit 

travel.

Supports the planned development of Gate F to accommodate future commercial vehicle inspections, shipping/receiving, and conference visitor 

screening based on site compatibility.

Requests that NIST continue refining the project’s design to minimize impacts to the campus setting and off-site neighborhoods through landscaping, 

reconfiguring access roads, and light control measures.

Notes that NIST will improve its overall parking ratio from 1:1.5 to 1:1.9 with the implementation of the campus plan. The proposed ratio for federal 

employees, who comprise approximately 70 percent of the total population on campus, is 1:2. The proposed ratio for non-federal employees 

(contractors, guest researchers), who comprise 30 percent of the total population, is 1:1.7.

Requests that NIST prioritize development of a detailed Travel Demand Management plan with future mode share goals, program implementation 

steps/schedules, and regular commuter travel monitoring program for both federal and non-federal employees. The TDM plan should contain programs, 

strategies, goals, and implementation information specifically directed at encouraging more sustainable travel behavior by non-federal employees. 

Requests that NIST submit a transportation progress report to NCPC for review prior to submitting the new parking garage and Building 411 lot 

expansion projects with the following information:

• Status of programs included in the future NIST Travel Demand Management plan, which demonstrate progress towards attaining future non-single 

occupant vehicle mode share goals; and

• Travel trend information based on commuter surveys given between 2016 and most recent survey prior to submission of the new garage and 

Building 411 lot expansion projects.
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Draft Campus Master Plan
73

Building 301

Gate C

Quince Orchard Road

streetview looking at Gate C

Appendix