Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/09/26

Key Takeaways

  • Virginia Tech celebrated the topping out of the 285,500-square-foot Mitchell Hall, a five-story engineering facility scheduled for completion in winter 2028 that will become the largest College of Engineering building on campus.
  • The new building will house classrooms, instructional labs, and research spaces for multiple engineering disciplines while preserving an existing facility that contains one of the nation's largest university-owned wind tunnels.
  • Built by Skanska, the project has reached the topping-out milestone after using more than 18,000 cubic yards of concrete, 2,600 tons of reinforcing steel, and approximately 300,000 work hours, continuing the firm's longstanding partnership with Virginia Tech.

 

Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

The five-story building will feature academic classrooms and instruction labs, as well as research lab space for the “aerospace and ocean engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and engineering education programs,” according to the news release. The facility is being built around an existing one that contains one of the largest university-owned wind tunnels in the U.S., preserving the old building within the new layout.

“Every person on this team has brought remarkable skill and dedication to Mitchell Hall, and that commitment shows in what we've built so far,” said Mark Balling, the Skanska Mid-Atlantic region’s executive vice president and general manager. "We’re honored to deliver another facility for Virginia Tech that represents a bold step forward not just for today's students and faculty, but for the many generations that follow.”

Construction stats include 18,321 cubic yards of concrete, 2,600 tons of reinforcing steel, and about 300,000 work hours (162,000 of those from the concrete subcontractor), according to the news release.

The university has previously partnered with Skanska on the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Science Laboratory Building, completed in 2025, and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Addition in Roanoke, completed in 2020.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Washington State University Debuts New Engineering Hall

    Washington State University recently celebrated a dedication ceremony for the new Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus in Pullman, Wash., according to university news. The facility measures 66,288 square feet, and its completion marks the first milestone in a larger university effort to modernize the engineering and design district.

  • UNH Marks Construction Milestone on Oceanic Exploration Facility

    The University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., recently celebrated a major construction milestone with a beam-signing ceremony for the new Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping, according to a news release. The facility’s ultimate goal is to support research, training and technical assistance in ocean mapping.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.