Envisioned as a space where researchers and students can engage in creative collisions and strengthen team-driven leadership for entrepreneurial and translational research, the new Engineering Research Building heralds a new age of experiential learning and collaborative exploration for VCU’s College of Engineering. The 133,000 SF building includes wet and dry laboratories, innovation maker facilities, and flexible collaboration spaces to support interdisciplinary research and engagement with industry. The building’s design was conceived as a vibrant, flexible, forward-thinking home for the College of Engineering, and a completion of the building ensemble established by Engineering East and the School of Business. The consistency of traditional red brick and cast stone on the façade speaks to their dynamic connections both physically and in their shared mission. The iconic elliptical corner acts as a welcoming gateway to the campus beyond. The building’s Collaboration Hub is the heart of the complex and is intended to knit together the buildings in a light-filled space. Its design encourages interdisciplinary discovery, with a copper-clad wall, a Forum stair for gatherings and presentations on multiple levels, and a café space with direct access to the innovation courtyard. The building is LEED-NC Silver certified.

This project follows a planning study completed previously by Baskervill and design partner Goody Clancy.