Bishop Favrao Hall, Virginia Tech

Location: Blacksburg, Va.
Architect: Worley Associates, Architects
Owner: Virginia Tech
Size: 30,145 SF

Designed as a teaching device for the Myers-Lawson School of Construction—each floor of this building construction laboratory showcases exposed pipes, drains, water lines, and electrical conduits.  In keeping with the campus aesthetic, the four-story building exterior is architectural precast and “Hokie Stone” veneer.  Inside, the building includes state-of-the-art laboratory spaces with testing labs, wet labs, material handling, tool and welding labs, and workshops for assembly of construction systems.  Sustainable design features include recycled glass ceramic wall and floor tiles, the latest Building Automation Systems, and bathroom lighting sensors.  During the project, MB developed a sequence for setting large amounts of precast to minimize disruption to other trades and maintain the project schedule.  Bishop-Favrao’s location adjacent to a busy parking lot and other occupied academic buildings limited the laydown area; therefore, containing the site and maintaining the safety of pedestrian and vehicle traffic called for close coordination with campus police.  After completion, MB project staff has accepted multiple guest-lecture invitations to discuss the various phases of the project and the challenges presented to the construction team.

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