Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Virginia to Get State’s First Net Zero Higher Ed Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/09/21

On the campus of Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, Virginia, construction of the Advanced Technical Training Center is scheduled for completion in spring 2023. The center will be the first higher education facility in the state—and one of just a few community college buildings across the U.S.—to achieve net zero energy. The building was designed by VMDO Architects, and its budget is approximately $21 million.

The Advanced Technical Training Center will serve as the home for the college’s workforce training and career development programs. It will feature amenities like cybersecurity and forensics labs, advanced manufacturing and robotics labs, and active learning classrooms. It will also house the college’s admissions, advising, and career services offices, as well as a café, open spaces for group work, a multipurpose event room, and a veterans’ resource center.

“The PVCC faculty, staff and students are committed to a clean energy future for Virginia,” said PVCC President Frank Friedman. “We are so pleased to be leading the way by constructing this net zero energy building, which will become the centerpiece of our beautiful campus.”

According to a press release, VMDO’s résumé of net zero energy buildings includes the world’s first LEED Zero school (Discovery Elementary School), what is considered to be the largest net zero building in the country (Alice West Fleet Elementary School), and what is considered to be the first net zero energy community gathering place in Washington, D.C. (Stead Park Recreation Center). Construction of the Advanced Technical Training Center is expected to help the state of Virginia achieve 100% clean energy by 2050.

“In their focus on student success, community colleges are innovative training grounds and important contributors to local and regional economies,” said Joe Atkins with VMDO Architects. “It’s so rewarding to see PVCC explore net zero energy as a learning opportunity that will prepare students for future workforce and career opportunities.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.

Digital Edition