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

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • North Texas School District Completes Third New Elementary School

    The Denton Independent School District in Dallas, Texas, recently finished construction on its third prototype design elementary school, Reeves Elementary, according to a news release.

  • 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.

  • blurry image capturing students navigating crowded hallways between classes

    How Human Behavior Data Is Reshaping Campus Facilities Management

    The ebb and flow of students, faculty, and administrators across a campus have a larger impact on maintenance, cleaning, and sustainability than many realize.