Virginia Tech Academic Building One serves as the first building within the university’s Innovation Campus in North Potomac Yard, creating a new destination for education, research, and collaboration.

Designed around the movement of the sun, the building brings together architecture, daylight, and lighting to create an environment that feels open, connected, and active throughout the day. Light supports a wide range of spaces, from classrooms and learning lofts to circulation areas and informal gathering spaces, while reinforcing the building’s strong geometric character.

Integrated lighting gives the interior a sense of rhythm and continuity, highlights activity within the building, and extends its presence into the evening. Sculptural suspended and wall-mounted luminaires, developed from the building’s faceted geometry, create distinctive moments throughout the interior and reinforce the architectural language of the campus.

The result is a welcoming, energy-conscious building that makes learning and research visible to the surrounding community. The project received the 2026 IESDC Section Candela Award for Interior Lighting Design.