Creativity and Innovation District Living/Learning Community

Virginia Tech is ablaze by a new ‘playground for the innovators, inventors, and makers who will build the world of tomorrow.’ Strategic and creative collisions abound! Signature to this hub of activity is a new living / learning community, home to 30,000 square feet of interdisciplinary space for students, faculty and community entrepreneurs with upper floors providing the residential experience for 600 curious students.

The design connects people and active spaces promoting creativity, active experimentation, performances, research and a hierarchy of engagement and meaningful connections. Ideas generate and flourish through collaboration and connections – from the resident, to the building, campus, the town and globe. The goal is to ‘galvanize innovation – from conception to commercialization.’ Virginia Tech notes that “Bridge spaces” allow companies, students, faculty, and other scholars to work in close proximity to create, incubate, and bridge ideas into viable businesses. The process itself already made this concept a reality. Architecture students and faculty were hands on engaged in the process with the design and construction team through special projects, creating and developing select spaces.

The Hanbury / WM Jordan team’s winning proposal focused on refining design elements to increase the probability of engagement and innovation through a transformative, innovative and entrepreneurial student experience. The proposal met the criteria established by Virginia Tech and the criteria document consultant, VMDO.

"If you’re interested in the creative process, from imagination to innovation, this is where you come to work with a like-minded community, no matter what your disciplinary origins." 

– Ben Knapp, founding executive director of the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT)