Campus of Virginia Tech

Burruss Hall, signature building on the Virginia Tech campus.

Virginia Tech's Drillfield

The Virginia Tech campus is located in Blacksburg, Virginia; the central campus is roughly bordered by Prices Fork Road to the northwest, Plantation Drive to the west, Main Street to the east, and U.S. Route 460 bypass to the south, although it also has several thousand acres beyond the central campus. The Virginia Tech campus totals about 2,600 acres (11 km²).

The university also has several commonwealth branch campus centers: Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach), National Capital Region (Falls Church - Alexandria, Virginia), Richmond, Roanoke, and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. The university also owns the Center for European Studies and Architecture in Ticino, Switzerland.^[1]

Academic buildings

Cowgill Hall

Cowgill Hall, located on Perry Street, is the home of Virginia Tech's College of Architecture and Urban Studies. It was named for Clinton Cowgill, who retired in 1956 after 28 years as the architecture department head.^[2]

Adjacent to Cowgill Hall are what appear to be concrete walkways, but are actually a roof to a lower part of another building - Burchard Hall. Underneath are workshops and drawing boards for students majoring in Architecture or Industrial Design. The glass pyramids are actually skylights.

In 2006, Cowgill Hall was named the winner of the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects Test of Time Award. This award is presented annually to a building that has served the same function for at least 25 years.^[3][4]

Durham Hall

Durham Hall, a $16 million project,^[5] opened in 1998 and was called "New Engineering Building", or "The NEB", until 2001. It was named in honor of Fred D. Durham, co-founder of the Dover Corporation, a Fortune 500 manufacturing company located in New York City.^[6]

Norris Hall

Norris Hall

Norris Hall is a four story (1 floor below grade) Hokie Stone academic building located between Burruss and Holden Halls.^[7] The building encompasses approximately 70,000 gross square feet^[8] and houses the main office for the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, room 225,^[9] and used to house the Dean's Office for the College of Engineering, room 333.^[10] The building has been home to the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics for almost fifty years and is named for Earl B. Norris who served as dean of engineering for twenty-four years between 1928 and 1952.^[8]

Norris Hall was also the location of the second shooting attack during the Virginia Tech massacre on April 16, 2007. The building was the site of 31 of the 33 fatalities (including the gunman), and wounded faculty and students. The building was closed for the rest of the 2007 spring semester, and reopened with access limited to faculty and students with legitimate business inside at remaining offices and laboratories on June 18, 2007. The second-floor rooms that were attacked were cleaned, emptied and locked.^[11]

On December 20, 2007 it was announced that the second floor of Norris Hall would be renovated and become home to the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention.^[12]

On Friday April 10, 2009 a ceremony was held to commemorate the reopening of the west wing of Norris Hall. The area consists of six reconfigured rooms and laboratories and is home to the new Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention as well as the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics. The renovation project was completed in March at a cost of approximately one-million dollars; many goods and services were donated by individuals and contractors in support of the project.^[13] As department head of engineering Science and mechanics, Dr. Ishwar Puri played a leading role in the reoccupation of Norris Hall where his department is housed.^[14][15]

Ware Lab

Located on the Upper Quad of the Virginia Tech campus, the Joseph F. Ware Advanced Engineering Lab is housed in the Old Military Building. The facility is named after 1937 Mechanical Engineering Alumnus Joe Ware.^[16] As a part of the College of Engineering, the Ware Lab is home to much student-based research and design projects. Focused on a hands-on-learning environment, students are encouraged to participate in these projects as early as their freshman year. The Klages Machine Shop, equipped with various machine tools used for project manufacturing including two CNC Machines, is also located within the Ware Lab.^[17] The lab is home to such notable teams as the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team, Formula SAE (VT Motorsports), and the Baja SAE team. Other teams in the lab include the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Team (AUVT), Design Build Fly (DBF), and the Autonomous Aerial Vehicle Team (AAVT).

Other academic buildings

Agnew Hall, Art and Design Learning Center, Burchard Hall, Cheatham Hall, Dairy Science Complex, Davidson Hall, Derring Hall, Engel Hall, Femoyer Hall, Food Science and Technology, Fralin Biotechnology Center, Hahn Hall (formerly Chemistry/Physics), Hancock Hall, Holden Hall, Hutcheson Hall, Johnston Student Center, Lane Hall, Litton Reaves Hall, Major Williams Hall, McBryde Hall, Newman Library, Pamplin Hall, Patton Hall, Performing Arts Building, Price Hall, Randolph Hall, Robeson Hall, Sandy Hall, Saunders Hall, Seitz Hall, Shanks Hall, Smyth Hall, Squires Student Center, Torgersen Hall, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Wallace Hall, Whittemore Hall, Williams Hall

Athletics buildings

Cassell Coliseum

Main article: Cassell Coliseum

Cassell Coliseum is a 10,052-seat multi-purpose arena in Blacksburg, Virginia. The arena opened in 1961. It is home to the Virginia Tech Hokies basketball teams (men's and women's).

Lane Stadium

Virginia Tech students and fans rush the field after Virginia Tech defeated the Miami Hurricanes 31-7 on November 1, 2003.^[18]

Main article: Lane Stadium

Lane Stadium is the stadium for Virginia Tech's football team. It has been rated as having the "number one home field advantage" in all of college football.^[19]

Other Athletics Facilities

Additional athletic facilities ^[20] include:

• Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center
• Pete Dye River Course
• English Field (baseball)
• Johnson/Miller Track Complex
• Merryman Athletic Facility
• Rector Field House
• Tech Softball Park
• Virginia Tech Lacrosse and Soccer Stadium
• War Memorial Pool

Residence halls

Ambler Johnston Hall

Ambler Johnston Hall is a large co-ed undergraduate residence hall located on Washington Street across from the Cassell Coliseum parking lot in what is known as the Summit Community.^[7] Completed in 1968, the hall is named after Ambler Johnston, a 1904 graduate of Virginia Tech, was the co-founder of Carneal & Johnston Architects (now Ballou Justice and Upton Architects) and the first architect to use Hokie Stone.^{[citation needed]}

The hall is divided into two wings, commonly referred to as East and West AJ on campus. West AJ is the larger of the two halls and is taller by one story. The wings are connected by commons areas on the second, fourth and sixth floors. A computer lab is situated in the commons area on the fourth floor. West AJ's 4th floor was the location of the first of two attacks during the Virginia Tech Massacre on April 16, 2007, which resulted in the shooting deaths of a female resident and a male resident adviser. In early 2010, two students are reported to have broken onto the roof of the larger hall, West Ambler Johnston.

East Ambler Johnston reopened Fall, 2011 as the Honors Residential College (HRC). The newly renovated East AJ features some rooms with private baths, several apartments where four student share a living room, bath, two bedrooms, and kitchen. Some traditional halls where bathroom facilities are shared by half a floor were retained; however, these too were remodeled. The latest renovation added air conditioning which is controlled at the room level.

In the "bridge" that spans between East and West AJ and on the lower levels, there are many meeting rooms, a huge student kitchen, a very large game room, a weight/exercise room, a theater (complete with high-back theater seating and a popcorn machine), a "library" for small study groups, a mail room and laundry facilities that can be accessed through the university's "laundry web" (students can reserve machines and see if their wash/dry is done via the Internet).

Also in the "bridge" is a large apartment for the faculty members who are "in residence" in the HRC.

West AJ is scheduled to reopen Fall, 2012. It is not slated to be an honors dorm.

Hillcrest Hall

Main article: Hillcrest Honors Community

Hillcrest Honors Community

Hilcrest Honors Community is the smallest residence hall in Virginia Tech at a student capacity of 108. Unlike most of the other residence halls on campus, it is required that all of its occupants maintain a grade point average of 3.50 and it is customary that they live in the building for the first four years of their undergraduate education. Main Campbell Honors Community is the only other residence hall which has the same set-up. Students staying for a fifth year may live off-campus but still participate in community functions such as occasional dinners, the senior toast, and Colloquium Magnum.

In addition to being a residence hall on the second and third floors, Hillcrest houses Virginia Tech's University Honors offices on the first floor and the Residence Hall Federation office in the basement. Community residents thus have the opportunity to maintain close personal relationships with the Honors staff.

Hillcrest Hall is one of very few buildings and the only residence hall at Virginia Tech not named for a person. The name is derived from its location at the crest of a hill at the east end of Virginia Tech's central Drillfield, between West Campus Drive and the Grove. It is one of the few red brick buildings on a campus known for its "Hokie Stone" architecture.

Hillcrest Hall has a long-standing history. When women were integrated into the University, it was the only women's dormitory on campus. As such, Hillcrest used to be referred to as the "skirt barn." One of the Honors offices on the first floor used to be a "courting room" when Hillcrest Hall was the women's dormitory. Because visitation was not permitted in the residence hall, courting took place in this room. Young men would enter the room from one door and the young ladies would enter the room from another door. Only a few feet away was the room where the house mother would be to supervise.

Lee Hall

Lee Hall (left) and Pritchard Hall (right)

Lee Hall is located on Washington Street in the Prairie Community. The building is named for Claudius Lee, a long-time faculty member.

Lee Hall houses 824 residents on its eight floors (7 floors and ground level) including the Galileo and Biological and Life Sciences theme housing programs.

In 1997, students in a history class found a page in the 1896 Bugle (Virginia Tech's student yearbook) claiming that Claudius Lee had been president of the Ku Klux Klan. A panel named by then-president Paul Torgersen examined the available historical records about the organization. A Klan expert, John Kneebone, hired by the university determined that the Klan was extinct in Virginia in 1896 (the modern Klan in fact dates to a 1915 rally, in Stone Mountain, Georgia), leaving open the possibility that this may have been some kind of collegiate society attempting to appropriate the image of the nineteenth century Klan.^[21][22]

Lee Hall's penthouse, the highest point in Blacksburg, was home to the campus radio station, WUVT's, transmitter until May 2009, when the station vacated Lee Hall as part of the process of upgrading to a new transmitter and transmit location atop Price Mountain.

Slusher Hall

The 12-story Slusher Hall is the tallest building in Blacksburg. Slusher, including a 3 story annex, Slusher Wing, is a co-ed residence hall, home to the WING, Hypatia, and MOSAIC theme housing programs.

The green adjacent to Slusher Tower and Slusher Wing has been referred to as "Slusher Beach", originating from the use of the green by students to sunbathe during warm weather.

Other Residence Halls

Virginia Tech's Main Eggleston Hall

• Barringer Hall - One of 4 remaining all male residence halls. Located in the President's Quad and houses about 220 students.
• Brodie Hall - Home to the Corps of Cadets, located on the Upper Quad.
• Campbell Hall - The Main building is home to Honors and graduate students. East Campbell is one of 3 all-female residence halls.
• Cochrane Hall - A non-AC suite-style residence hall, connected to West End Market. Home to many first year student athletes.
• Eggleston Hall - Divided into 2 wings. The Main building is an all female residence hall. West Egg is co-ed by floor and home to mostly upperclassmen.
• Graduate Life Center at Donaldson-Brown - A former hotel and conference center. Its lowest floor is home to the graduate school's administrative offices, class rooms, meeting rooms, and a small Au Bon Pain restaurant. The remaining three floors are graduate residences.
• Harper Hall - One of the few suite-style AC residence halls on campus. Houses 256 residents. Some first year students are assigned to Harper, often as the result of allergies.
• Johnson Hall - An all-female residence hall, located in the President's Quad and houses about 190 students.
• Miles Hall - An all-male residence hall , located in the President's Quad and houses about 217 students.
• Monteith Hall - Currently houses Cadet residents. Located in the Upper Quad.
• New Residence Hall East - Suite-Style AC residence hall that opened in 1999 on the Prairie, former site of Miles Stadium, Lane Stadium's predecessor.

• Newman Hall - A co-ed residence hall located in the President's Quad. Co-ed by floor and home to the WORLD and W.E.L.L theme housing program.
• O'Shaughnessy Hall - A mid-sized co-ed residence hall, by floor. Houses many upperclass students.
• Payne Hall - Virginia Tech's first AC residence hall that opened in 1993. Houses returning students and transfers only.
• Peddrew-Yates Residence Hall (formerly New Residence Hall West) - Home to the Residential Leadership Community (RLC), a suite-style AC residence hall.
• Pritchard Hall - Was the 2nd largest all-male residence hall on the east coast. It became co-ed in the fall of 2009 and houses about 1,040 students, mostly freshmen.
• Rasche Hall - Located in the Upper Quad. A Cadet-Only residence hall.
• Thomas Hall - A co-ed residence hall located in the Upper Quad.
• Vawter Hall - An all-male residence hall located near Owens Hall.

Residence Hall Federation

The Residence Hall Federation (RHF) is a University Chartered Student Organization. This organization exists to serve the 9,000 on-campus residents through hall councils in each residence hall. The RHF is composed of 23 hall councils, representing the residents of each hall, and three community councils, which represent two or more halls that share a common trait. Each individual hall council receives a programming budget of $1 per resident (or $400 if there are fewer than 400 residents) from the Student Programs office and from the RHF budget.

The RHF Officer Group consists of 16 members, composing an Executive Board and a Board of Directors.

Like the Resident Advisors employed by the school, the Hall Councils produce programs that entertain and educate the residents of the buildings that they serve. These programs range from movie nights to exam study breaks. In addition, the RHF officer group also puts on campus-wide programs, under the command of the Director of Programs. Traditionally, the campus-wide programs have been Campus-Kickoff, Pizza Bonanza, and Hokies Hold'Em. The RHF also performs a number of community service projects.

See also: National Association of College and University Residence Halls

Dining halls

Dietrick Dining Center

Dietrick Dining Center, or Dietrick Hall, is the largest of Virginia Tech's six dining facilities, seating 1,100 and serving on average 3,758 students daily. The building opened in 1970 at a cost of $2.8 million.^[23]

The main dining area, now called "D2", was known as the "Depot at Dietrick" prior to a $6.5 million renovation completed in 2004 that converted the hall from a cafeteria-style facility to one that more closely resembles a food court.^[24]

The building also contains the Dietrick General Store, an extension of the University Bookstore; "Deet's Place", a coffee and ice cream shop; and the Dietrick Express, a fast food à la carte facility.

West End Market

West End

West End Market opened in 1999 as Virginia Tech's second major food court dining facility. Adjoined to Cochrane Hall, this facility was known as Cochrane Dining Hall until it closed in 1997 for remodeling.^[25]

West End Market was recognized in 1999 by the National Association of College and University Food Services as the best university specialty restaurant in the country and has been rated by the Princeton Review at one of the Top 3 school dining facilities multiple times, achieving the #1 spot in 2006.

West End Market offers students meals ranging from burgers and pizza (cooked in a their own stone hearth pizza oven), to fresh grilled fish, steaks, and lobster taken from JP's Chop House Lobster tank.^[26]

Owens Hall

Owens Hall opened in 1940 as a replacement for Virginia Tech's military mess hall.

The Food Court contains twelve ala carte specialty shops. In 1997, a section of the building called the Hokie Grill & Co. was remodeled to feature Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut franchises. In its first year, the Chick-fil-A became the top-selling of all Chick-fil-A franchises located on college campuses.^[27]

Owens Hall is located on Kent Street in the Lower Quad.

Other dining facilities

Shultz Hall, Squires Food Court (inside Squires Student Center), and Vet Med Cafe (located in the Vet Med Commons).

Miscellaneous buildings

Burruss Hall

Burruss Hall

The Burruss Hall Tunnel

Burruss Hall, 2009

Burruss Hall is the main administrative building at Virginia Tech, located in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Burruss Hall is the main administration building, it also contains a 3,003-seat auditorium and houses several departments in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. It consists of the original building, completed in June, 1936 (cost $428,404; 77,080 sq ft (7,161 m²) ); a west wing and rear addition, built in 1968 (cost $1,536,899; 60,503 sq ft (5,620.9 m²) ); and an east wing, built in 1970 (cost $593,729; 20,638 sq ft (1,917.3 m²) ). The cornerstone of the original building was laid at the 1935 commencement; the first commencement was held in the auditorium in June, 1936. An electronic carillon, costing $28,000, was in 1958 and was dedicated at Homecoming, 1958. It was originally known as the Teaching and Administration Building.

Julian Ashby Burruss (1876-1947) was President from 1919 to 1945. The first alumnus president, Burruss guided VPI through tremendous increases in faculty, student body, and degree offerings; vast growth in the physical plant; and efficient changes in administrative structure. He successfully pushed to admit women and shortened the military requirement to two years, setting the stage for a larger civilian student body. During his tenure, Radford College became the Women’s Division of VPI.

Address: Drillfield Drive | Map Grid: L-4 Originally Built: 1936 | Abbreviation: BUR

Johnston Student Center

The G. Burke Johnston Student Center (most commonly called GBJ) contains student activities rooms also used as classrooms during the day, a small food court, and study areas. On the bottom floor of this three-story building is the entrance to the Pamplin tunnel, which connects this building with the adjacent Pamplin Hall there is also a bridge on the third floor connecting it to Burruss Hall.

Power Plant

A campus landmark, the power plant is located on the upper quad across from Thomas Hall. Its 180-foot (55 m) chimney can be seen from many places throughout Blacksburg. The plant is a cogeneration facility that provides electricity, heat and steam for the campus.^[28]

Other miscellaneous buildings

Alumni Hall, Armory, Cranwell International Center, the Grove (President's Residence), Health and Safety Building, Henderson Hall, Information/Visitors Center, McComas Hall, Media Building, Price House (razed 2005^[29]), Smith House, Solitude, Squires Student Center, Student Services Building, University Bookstore, University Club, War Memorial Chapel, War Memorial Gymnasium, Wright House

Non-building campus landmarks

Hokie Stone

Main article: Hokie Stone

On the Blacksburg campus, the majority of the buildings incorporate Hokie Stone as a building material. Hokie Stone is a medley of different colored limestone, often including dolomite. Each block of Hokie Stone is some combination of gray, brown, black, pink, orange, and maroon. The limestone is mined from various quarries in Southwestern Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama, one of which has been operated by the university since the 1950s.

Gargoyles

There are 15 gargoyles which appear on Tech buildings, especially older buildings including Hillcrest, Saunders, and Eggleston Halls. Although some, like those on the Eggleston archway, are functional, the majority are merely ornamental. Among the more distinctive gargoyles on campus are the "cowgoyles" seen on some agricultural buildings.^[30]

See also

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Virginia Tech massacre

References

1. ^ http://www.oired.vt.edu/cesa/
2. ^ http://www.unirel.vt.edu/buildings/bldg.php?name=Cowgill+Hall
3. ^ Lent, Andrew. "Virginia Tech's Cowgill Hall receives architectural award". Virginia Tech's Cowgill Hall receives architectural award. Roanoke Times. http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/66742. Retrieved June 4, 2006. 
4. ^ News Story | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech
5. ^ Virginia Tech Campus Construction
6. ^ http://www.unirel.vt.edu/buildings/bldg.php?name=Durham+Hall
7. ^ ^{a b} "Central Campus Map". Virginia Tech. http://www.vt.edu/where_we_are/maps/central-campus-map.pdf. Retrieved 2007-04-18. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "Norris Hall to begin phased reoccupation". Virginia Tech News. 2007-06-05. http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2007&itemno=330. Retrieved 2007-07-01. 
9. ^ "Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics". Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics. Archived from the original on 2007-04-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20070425074326/http://www.esm.vt.edu/main.php. Retrieved 2007-04-18. 
10. ^ "College of Engineering Dean's Office". Virginia Tech College of Engineering. http://www.eng.vt.edu/overview/deans_office.php. Retrieved 2007-04-18. 
11. ^ Norris Hall
12. ^ Vargas, Theresa (2007-12-20). "Va. Tech's Norris Hall to Become Peace Studies Center". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/20/AR2007122001493.html?hpid=topnews. Retrieved 2007-12-20. 
13. ^ Owczarski, Mark. "Norris Hall second floor to re-open April 10". http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2009&itemno=239. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
14. ^ Conversation with Steve Inskeep of National Public Radio
15. ^ Video by Greg Esposito, Roanoke Times
16. ^ http://www.eng.vt.edu/warelab/about_joe%20_ware.php
17. ^ College of Engineering
18. ^ NCAA Football - Miami (FL) Hurricanes/Virginia Tech Hokies Recap Saturday November 1, 2003 - Yahoo! Sports
19. ^ Rivals.com - No place like home
20. ^ "Virginia Tech facilities". http://www.hokiesports.com/facilities.html. Retrieved 2007-12-21. 
21. ^ http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/vtpubs/spectrum/sp971120/1d.html
22. ^ http://collegiatetimes.com/stories/10421
23. ^ Student Programs - Virginia Tech - Virtual Tour
24. ^ Student Programs - Virginia Tech - Virtual Tour
25. ^ Student Programs - Virginia Tech - Virtual Tour
26. ^ Virginia Tech Magazine Feature 2
27. ^ Student Programs - Virginia Tech - Virtual Tour
28. ^ Utilities @ Virginia Tech
29. ^ "Relocation Plans". Virginia Tech Women's Center. 2004-09-11. Archived from the original on 2004-09-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20040911163130/http://www.womenscenter.vt.edu/NewFiles/move.html. Retrieved 2007-04-05. 
30. ^ 94vtmp.pdf

External links

• http://www.studentprograms.vt.edu - Virginia Tech Student Programs
• http://www.cdcd.vt.edu/PJD/Const.Status/main.html - Virginia Tech campus construction status
• http://www.vt.edu/where_we_are/maps/index.html - Virginia Tech maps
• http://www.unirel.vt.edu/buildings/ - Official VT buildings page
• http://www.rhf.vt.edu - Virginia Tech Residence Hall Federation
• http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18134671/ -Link to the 4/16/07 school shooting