Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

An Upgrade at Virginia Tech

  • 04/01/16

auditorium McBryde upgradeMcBryde 100 auditorium, a 550-seat raked floor auditorium, is the largest classroom assembly space on the main campus of Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg. Heavily used by multiple departments for large format “101” classes, the instruction space, like many similar auditoriums built in the 1970s, was in need of updates and improvements. Designed and executed by the Washington, DC, studio of Westlake Reed Leskosky, the interior renovation addressed accessibility compliance, life safety issues, aging infrastructure, aging technology and worn interior finishes and furnishings.

With one strategic sectional change, Westlake Reed Leskosky solved a variety of accessibility compliance issues, accommodates instructor circulation within the room, and provides for future evolutions in teaching pedagogy. The key renovation design concept of a modified floor slab improves accessibility throughout the space and facilitates more integrated teaching methods for instructors and students. Specifically, the strategy involved changing the rake of the floor to 1:12, adding continuous rails at side aisles, introducing an intermediate aisle, and interspersing ADAcompliant seating spaces throughout the room, while sacrificing only a minimal number of seats from the previous condition.

auditorium McBryde upgradeModern teaching systems via the podium, AV systems projecting on a fixed surface, new seating systems, interior finishes, lighting and acoustical treatments make the auditorium one of the most elegant large-scale teaching environments on campus. The interiors feature new maple wall and ceiling paneling, highly sustainable fabric-wrapped panels, and other finishes inspired by the existing Hokie Stone walls that are prominent throughout campus.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Porter Family Center

    Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Designing the Bridge Between Inclusivity and Independence in K–12 Schools

    Fostering independence is fundamental to learning and development for K–12 students. It offers many proven benefits, such as enhanced confidence, problem-solving, decision-making, and social skills. However, this foundational objective loses its impact if it’s not accessible and adaptable to all students. Inclusivity plays a critical role in cultivating independence and healthy autonomy for students, fostering positive student learning outcomes by uniting pedagogy with the physical learning environment.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.