Student Center Competition

Location:

Virginia Poly Technical Institute

Type: Competition-

Honorable Mention

Two connected buildings form edges to the two spaces on the north and south of the ssite.

The Seminar Wing, or North Wing is situated on Cowgill Plaza, It is a loggia with a symbolic entrance. The loggia enables the atrium behind to open out onto the plaza. The classroom wing faces south/southwest onto a parking lot. The design envisions this lot as becoming another of the campus quads. Between the two buildings is a glass enclosed solar atrium allowing a visual connection to the campus through the Student Life Building.

The design internt was to provide simple and efficient passive solar techniques. The building orientation follows the path of the sun along the E/W axis. The south wall of the Classroom Wing is a bris-solie controlling seasonal heat loss and heat gain.