Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
The program responds to a desire to transition away from a traditional departmental model to promote interdisciplinary collaboration at a rapidly growing College of Engineering that aspires to become the national model for innovation in engineering and research.
With current facilities having reached maximum use in 2016, the Engineering Research Building (ERB) provides much-needed space for research and economic development. Our work for the School began with a comprehensive programming effort, after which we were selected to proceed with the building design.
Our program for the new 130,000 SF building promotes interdisciplinary collaboration. While the primary occupants of the new building will be Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science, the labs have been designed for maximum long-term flexibility. In addition to wet and dry labs, the building includes a full-floor vivarium and a 12,000 SF maker/innovation suite that can open out to the new landscaped courtyard formed by the ERB.
The ERB connects to the existing building at multiple levels, and includes a dramatic, daylit Collaboration Hub that will unify the complex’s social spaces and provide an important new gathering space to serve both the College of Engineering and the adjacent School of Business.
