Location: Norfolk, VA
RRMM designed Old Dominion University’s new Physical Science Building, a multi-disciplinary graduate research building for the College of Sciences. The building includes program and classroom space for the Departments of Biology, Physics and Chemistry with associated administrative/support functions. The project began with a study to assess department needs and determine a precise location for the building, which ultimately formed the basis of the project’s design.
The structural frame is designed to resist human impact and mechanical equipment-generated vibration that would affect the sensitive research in the Laser Labs. The modern addition creates the base of the new science quad on ODU’s campus and offers high-tech classroom space with Wi-Fi access. In addition to the state-of-the-art lab spaces in the building, the second-floor atrium houses a student lounge/learning center where students can work in cooperative groups in a quiet, comfortable learning environment. The building is sited so that the predominant views are of the science quad, the pond, the fountain and the science department greenhouse, minimizing views of the parking garage located behind the building.
