VCU Brandcenter

Category

Education

Location

Richmond, VA

Year

2008

Area

32,000 SF

Photographer

Allen T. Jones

VCU Brandcenter in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the foremost media, advertising and communications schools in North America. To accommodate the school’s expansion, a new building was needed that reflected a teaching process that simulates real world challenges, within an inspirational environment. A historic three-story brick carriage house provides the main school teaching space, and this is supplemented with a new service structure located alongside, which provides modern facilities and services on three levels, including seismic bracing of the old building. Together, the structures house a school pioneering an advertising curriculum offering not only business fundamentals and strategic branding, but hands-on understanding of the creative process and the experience of working with creative teams of students, teachers and professionals.

Acting as a catalyst, the new addition seeks to bring things together: old and new, student and faculty, academia and practice. Resisting the traditional academic hierarchy of student, faculty and administration, the project encourages a high level of social interaction between all users and all floor levels. Open communication is facilitated through a series of small and large open “neighborhoods” such as the massive concrete gathering table in the basement and informal break-out areas throughout each floor.