Designing for Health & Wellness: A New Era of Student-Centered Spaces
08.22.24In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the critical role that physical environments play in supporting student health and wellness. Higher education institutions increasingly embrace the idea that spaces designed with intention can significantly improve well-being, boost academic performance, and create a sense of belonging. VMDO Architects has been at the forefront of this movement, with projects that prioritize holistic wellness and foster a connection between students and their physical surroundings. Drawing from insights shared in VMDO’s publication, Designing for Health + Wellness, we explore the emerging trends shaping student health centers and how they are brought to life through three exemplary projects: The University of Richmond Basketball Practice Facility and Well-Being Center, The University of Virginia Student Health and Wellness Center, and Old Dominion University’s Student Health and Wellness Center.
VMDO’s Director of Sustainability + Equity Michelle Amt is Elevated to the AIA’s College of Fellows
06.13.24The AIA Honorary Fellowship program recognizes international architects for their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society on an international level. New fellows were honored at the AIA Awards Gala, June 7, 2024, at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. Director of Sustainability + Equity Michelle Amt was elevated to the AIA’s College of Fellows, an honor awarded to architects who have made significant contributions to the profession. Fewer than three percent of the architecture profession achieve AIA Fellowship.
VMDO Received Five National Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
06.12.24The 2024 AIA National Awards were announced last week at the Annual AIA24 Conference Awards Gala and VMDO was honored to receive five national awards that showcase excellence in architectural design and practice. Thurston Residence Hall (The George Washington University) has won three awards: AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top 10 Award for the highest level of achievement in sustainable design, AIA National Architecture Award, AIA National Housing Award. Alice West Fleet Elementary School (Arlington Public Schools, Virginia) was a recipient of an AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top 10 Award and Cardinal Elementary School (Arlington Public Schools, Virginia) was awarded an Education Facility Design award, sponsored by the Committee on Architecture for Education.
VMDO Wins 2023 Livable Building Award
12.21.23VMDO is pleased to announce that James Madison University’s Paul Jennings Hall has won the 2023 Livable Buildings Award. The juried award, administered by the University of California Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment (CBE), is given annually to the single project that best exemplifies design, sustainability, and occupant satisfaction as measured through CBE’s industry-leading post-occupancy survey. Jennings Hall is the third VMDO project that has achieved this honor in the past four years. Our previous winners include Discovery Elementary School (2021) and Bluestone Elementary School (2019). This year also marks a milestone for both the VMDO and the program as Jennings Hall is the first residential project—of any kind—to achieve the award.
36th Virginia Film Festival
10.17.23Each year, VMDO acts as a local sponsor for the Virginia Film Festival, a series of screenings, guest speakers, and special events that brings some of the best of this year's films directly to Charlottesville. In this roundtable conversation, Assistant Director of UVA Arts Development, Lizzy Ramey, VAFF Senior Programmer, Ilya Tovbis, and VAFF Outreach and Promotions Consultant, Ty Cooper, speak about the importance of the festival to local Virginia communities and some of the exciting highlights of this year's lineup.