Davidson Hall has been reconfigured into a state-of-the-art teaching and research facility, leaving its historic façade untouched. We addressed the limitations of the 1920s Collegiate Gothic Davidson Hall by designing a new addition that replaces the former teaching and research addition to the original four-story structure, framing a new green space facing West Campus Drive.
The plan organizes the main circulation corridor from a welcoming lobby in the original building's main wing straight into the new addition, providing views into labs and workstations and out to the surrounding landscape. Visual connectivity and innovative, flexible environments encourage greater student-student and student-faculty interaction, transforming the ways in which research teams can collaborate.
The design creates floor-wide research zones with shared instrumentation, wet bench space, and write-up/discussion spaces. These "loft labs" reflect a radical change in how Virginia Tech historically allocated space, providing greater adaptability as programs and teams evolve. The program also includes a lecture hall with pre-function space, as well as a variety of informal spaces for study with access to faculty offices.
Building Facts
- 50,000 GSF new
- LEED Certified
- Chemistry
- Physics
Bridging Past and Future
Prominently sited on the campus's drill field, the 1926 Davidson Hall is constructed of the Hokie stone that characterizes VA Tech's campus. When a deteriorated and unsafe mid-1930s addition was demolished, facade stone was carefully saved to clad the new addition. Reusing the stone honors the University's past while committing to its continuing development as a forward-thinking institution. Behind a traditional Collegiate Gothic facade, spacious modern research labs and flexible informal spaces adapt to inspire and accommodate collaborative innovation.
