Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Virginia Tech Breaks Ground on New Campus

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/15/21

With a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony, construction has officially begun on the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Va. University, government and business leaders gathered on Tuesday, Sept. 14, to mark the first steps of the first academic building of the new campus. The new facility is scheduled to open its doors to students, faculty and staff in fall 2024.

“It’s a day many years in the making, made possible by a broad group of partners who were willing to support a bold vision to advance research, graduate education and community engagement in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands to a crowd of more than 200.

According to university news sources, the Innovation Campus will offer graduate-level programs in computer engineering and computer science, as well as project-based initiatives that will partner students with local industry leaders. Boeing announced in May of this year that it was investing $50 million in the new campus as its first foundational partner. The funds will help create scholarships and recruit faculty and researchers.

“Our vision for the Innovation Campus is to be both a place and a culture that unlocks the power of diverse people and ideas to solve the world’s most pressing problems through technology,” said Lance Collins, vice president and executive director of the Innovation Campus. “Diversity isn’t just a core value to me. It is a measure of excellence that will ensure the Innovation Campus delivers on its full potential.”

The new academic building will stand 11 stories and measure in at 300,000 square feet, and according to university news, its design draws on principles of sustainability, health and wellness, green and social spaces, accessibility, connectivity, flexibility and integrated technology. The campus itself will cover 3.5 acres and is being developed in North Potomac Yard, near a future Potomac Yard Metrorail Station.

The long-term plan for the Innovation Campus includes the construction of two other buildings, each about 150,000 square feet, as campus grows. The university partnered with Sasaki to create a master plan for the campus and with SmithGroup to design the new academic building. Construction is being handled by JBG Smith.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • Classical building columns display digital data streams

    The Campus Nervous System: Why Facilities Risk Is Now a Leadership Issue in Higher Education

    Facility performance now intersects with safety, compliance, on-campus experience, institutional reputation, and financial resilience. That places it firmly on the leadership agenda.

  • Washington State District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Cheney School District No. 360 in Spokane County, Wash., recently announced that construction has begun on a new elementary school, according to local news. The district held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 18 in Airway Heights for the yet-to-be-named school, which is scheduled to open in fall 2027.

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.