Out of the Lecture Hall, Into the Robotics Lab
Virginia Tech, Goodwin Hall
Higher Education
When Virginia Tech engaged ZGF to program and design Goodwin Hall, it sought to replace outdated engineering education facilities with a state-of-the-art building—one that would better prepare its students to apply disciplinary knowledge in real-world settings. Complete with highly specialized instructional and research laboratories, classrooms, and maker space, the signature engineering building supports hands-on problem solving and active learning for undergraduates.
Location
Blacksburg, VA
Square Feet
159,500
Completion date
2014
Project Component
Architecture services
Interior design
Certifications
LEED Gold
Goodwin Hall is divided into two wings—a four-story wing for chemical engineering and a five-story wing for mechanical engineering—with shared public spaces and a central atrium. In addition to instructional and research laboratories, the program includes a 300-seat auditorium, eight classrooms, faculty and departmental offices, administrative space for engineering education and student services, meeting rooms, casual study spaces, and a café.
Engineering science is prominently displayed inside the building. Open corridors and student gathering spaces wrap around transparent teaching and research laboratories, inviting visitors to observe the science and activity taking place within. The building itself is used for research with more than 240 accelerometers embedded into the structure to collect and monitor occupant movement, and structural and vibration mechanics.
Designed to fit within Virginia Tech's Collegiate Gothic campus context, Goodwin Hall is clad in Hokie Stone masonry and precast concrete elements with glazing wrapping the building's corners and stair towers. A vocabulary of alternating stone and window-bay continues on the east and south façades of each wing in a symmetrical composition. The building's L-shaped plan creates a new quadrangle, which offers landscaped respite for visitors. A rain garden with pathways and seating areas marks the building's main entry point.
Energy-efficient strategies, such as heat recovery, recycled air in public spaces, and stormwater management systems helped the building achieve LEED Gold® certification. Goodwin Hall's landscape is both educational and sustainable, with stormwater infrastructure displayed as a water feature.