Monday, October 19, 2009
Theatre 101 brings new design to Tech campus
The building, which houses rehearsal space and a "black box" theater, was constructed as the first LEED certified building on campus.
Photo by Shaozhuo Cui | Virginia Tech's new Theatre 101 building
Photo by Shaozhuo Cui | Randy Ward (in blue), professor in the Theatre Arts Department, and C. J. Mellides, a senior theater design major, plan to install more features for the building’s front lobby
But just at the intersection of Draper Road and College Avenue, a new and striking building has caught the imagination of a number of people of late: Theatre 101.
“The whole building has a wonderful public presence that we have never had before,” said professor Randy Ward, who served as the faculty liaison between the department and the design team at Moseley Architects, the firm that planned the construction.
“With the building being right on College Avenue, we have an interface with the community we have never had before and that is a real plus,” he added.
According to Ward, people will frequently stop what they are doing as they pass by and discuss the new building, and it is easy to see why.
The two-story construction features a tremendous amount of glass ribbed with steel. Like its neighbors Squires Student Center and Henderson Hall, the building uses brick rather than Hokie Stone, which is common on that end of campus.
Inside, it boasts a “black box” theater, essentially a flexible production area that allows for changes in performance and audience space.
The theater features upgraded lighting, sound and video technology and boasts large windows for natural light and retractable black shades that allow a great deal of environmental control.
Additionally, the rehearsal room features a “sprung floor,” a neoprene padded floor that is easier on the actors whose roles require physical training.
All of this gives both the faculty and the students an advantage they did not have in the old facilities, particularly the design and theater tech students, Ward said. Directors and actors have better performance and production capability as well.
The building was constructed to be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building on campus, which means it meets strict construction and design requirements as set forth by U.S. Green Building Council.
According to Ward, they have submitted their paperwork and fully expect to be awarded gold level LEED status in a few weeks.
Professor Patty Raun, director of the School of Performing Arts and Cinema, sees a symbolic aspect to the building as well.
“It is a metaphor for the work we want to do — the glass facade both reflects and welcomes the community,” she said.
“Theater, as a collaborative research discipline, is a wonderful bridge between the excellent research done on campus and the life of the town of Blacksburg.”
Tech spokesman Larry Hincker said the building represents a commitment from the university to the arts at Virginia Tech and to the public as well.
“Theatre 101 is a continuation of university efforts to bolster arts programming at Virginia Tech,” he said.
“Moreover, its location adjacent to Blacksburg’s historic downtown district is consistent with our longrange goal to help the town create a vibrant arts district.”
In the coming decade, Tech will bring a new creative arts center online, and Hincker says Theatre 101 is just the beginning of a future that intertwines art, academics and the community in intentionally visible and interactive ways.
