Campus Design Principles

The primary goal of the university's Campus Design Principles is to reaffirm the university's design approach to the contemporary interpretation of revival Collegiate Gothic campus architecture, including massing, scale, groupings, arrangements, design features, colors, textures, and other contextual design opportunities. Equally important to the "sense of place" at Virginia Tech is the character of the open spaces, passages, and outdoor "rooms" which form such a memorable campus landscape. It is the careful integration of buildings and open space which ultimately define the physical presence of a campus.

The Campus Design Principles communicate our commitment to the stewardship of these finite resources and assure that the balance between built and natural form is sensitively developed over time in a way which respects the architectural language and landscape features of campus. To do this effectively, the principles outline the history of the Virginia Tech campus, the intricacies of its architectural detailing, the massing of its buildings and structures, and the special characteristics of landscape features, trees, and plant materials – those elements which are combined to form the physical and spatial characteristics of buildings and places. The intent is to have these design principles used as a companion to the university's Campus Master Plan to offer the most sensitive and responsible design solutions for the growth and regeneration of the campus.

Additional guidance in understanding the goals and expectations of the university can be found in the Virginia Tech Design and Construction Standards. These standards are essential in understanding the detailed requirements of design specifications, constructability, energy management, space standards, and integrated design. Each design team seeking work on the Virginia Tech campus shall be required to affirm in writing that they have read these Campus Design Principles and agree contractually to adhere to them.