-By Danine Alati, Photography by Allen Jones/VCU Photography Services

project: VCU Brandcenter
client: Virginia Commonwealth University
location: Richmond, Va.
designer: Clive Wilkinson Architects

If a student-centered educational facility is the goal of a project, then Clive Wilkinson is the architect for the job. With a knack for translating client objectives into learning environments that truly focus on the end users, Wilkinson and his eponymous West Hollywood design firm recently completed the Graduate Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Va.

A former art director and the former chief creative officer at leading ad agency Oglivy & Mather, Brandcenter director and professor Rick Boyko wanted to promote practical applications in a very open, collaborative environment that simulates real-life ad agency conditions and would expand the graduate school's advertising, media, and communications functions from an historic, three-story brick carriage house. "The goal was to compose the new addition in such a way that it would harmonize with the old, but also add new, supplementary services and technology," Boyko says.

"The old building lacked modern facilities and needed much repair, but the problems were normal," says Wilkinson, noting that cleaning the old wood and removing paint off exterior brick proved challenging, as sandblasting is too invasive. But they managed to spruce up the old structure enough to harmoniously marry it with the new. "We made a glazed void between the two and located the vertical movement stairwell there to bring it to life," says the architect. "With a glazed roof, it really allows the old building's wall to stand separately and adds drama to the interior experience."

Creating learning spaces that challenged traditional, hierarchical notions of pedagogy was also a key criterion. "I wanted a unique open space that would inspire creativity and collaboration and be unlike most anything found in academia—something versatile that could evolve to fit the changing needs of the school," Boyko says. And Wilkinson responded to this request for a collaborative setting with a concrete example—literally. A giant cement table in the basement-level student space accommodates groups of all sizes any time of day. "The large concrete table makes a strong statement about teamwork and supporting interaction," Wilkinson notes. "The middle floor is reconfigurable space and classrooms, and the top floor is faculty space configured for small, one-on-one student interactions. This way student and faculty have their own 'homes,' but the boundaries are dynamic and open."

Another literal interpretation of project goals is in this open dynamic on the middle floor, where the meeting room has retractable walls that are lowered to enclose 50 people or opened up for large groups. "Since we wanted a large empty space and a meeting room, we just connected the dots and made the room retract to the ceiling," Wilkinson explains. "The tent walls are padded to absorb sound. The 90-person lecture room at the back has acoustic padded curtains that pull away, so the entire floor can be open for exhibitions, large gatherings, or 200-person conferences."

For the VCU Brandcenter, all the makings of a successful project perfectly fell into place: an architect who is an expert in creating student-friendly learning spaces and a client who had not been submersed in academia for decades, but instead brought with him real world knowledge. The resulting collaboration yielded the ideal structure to house what BrandWeek magazine has ranked as among the world's top design schools, and last year Creativity magazine named the country's best advertising school. But more than merely invigorating the advertising program, according to Boyko, "This project has infused creativity into in the University in general." He says, "Just about every week there has been someone coming to visit from the University, and I've noticed that they are entertaining a different style of architects for future projects."


jury comment:

"The zone between existing and new construction was skillfully designed to consolidate vertical circulation and create a transition between program elements. The new challenges the old and wins. The collapsible conference room alone is worth the tuition."













who
Project: VCU Brandcenter. Client: Virginia Commonwealth University. Design architect, interior designer: Clive Wilkinson Architects. Architect of record, mechanical/electrical engineer, lighting designer: Baskervill. Structural engineer: Dunbar Milby Williams Pittman & Vaughan. General contractor: Kjellstrom & Lee. Furniture dealer: JMJ Corporation. Photographer: Allen Jones/VCU Photography Services.

what
Paint: Benjamin Moore. Laminate: Formica. Dry wall: Unifix. Masonry: Carolina Ceramics. Flooring: EcoSurfaces Flooring,  Bruce Hardwoods. Carpet tile: Interface Flor. Carpet fiber/backing: Polyolefin. Ceiling: Armstrong. Lighting: Bodine, Day-Brite Lighting, Omega Lighting, Pinnacle Architectural Lighting, Gardco Lighting, CD Lighting, GE. Doors: Fleetwood, Mohawk, Ceco Door Products. Door hardware: Schlage. Glass: Viracon. Window frames: Kawneer. Railings, teachers' desks, library/conference tables: Custom. Student/administrative desks, office shelving, files: KI. Students' seating: Haworth, Vecta. Teacher/administrative seating: Steelcase. Lounge seating: Quinze & Milan, Dune Furniture, Brayton International. Cafeteria, dining, auditorium seating: Vitra, Haworth, EMU. Cafeteria, dining, training tables: KI, Design Within Reach. Seating upholstery: Maharam, Knoll, Tapis. Library and conference seating: Vitra. Laboratory stools: Vecta, Haworth. Custom light fixture upholstry: Marimekko. Other tables: Brayton. Lockers: Lyon. Architectural woodworking/cabinetmaking: Karn Custom Woodwork. Signage, security: VCU. Fabric constructs: J. Miller Canvas. Elevators: ThyssenKrupp Elevators. HVAC: McQuay Air Conditioning. Fire safety: Edwards Systems Technology. Building management system: Alerton. Underfloor duct: Eastern Sheet Metal. Plumbing fixtures: Kohler.

where
Location: Richmond, Va. Total floor area: 32,000 sq. ft. No. of floors: 3. Average floor size: 11,000 sq. ft. Student capacity: 181.