School’s Out for Summer
06.16.21Here at VMDO, the work of our K-12 Studio precisely follows the academic calendar. At our Addition and Renovation project at Albemarle County’s Crozet Elementary School — and with the echoes of the very last dismissal bell of the year still ringing in everyone’s ears
Community Input Inspires Design of Lubber Run Community Center
12.08.20For each project, VMDO looks beyond textbook design principles and staff expertise, proactively seeking input and engagement from community stakeholders. Think Wood profiles how hard-earned community feedback inpired the design of Lubber Run Community Center
Students Lead Design-Build Efforts at Virginia Tech CID LLC
07.01.20Students are playing a hands-on role in the development of several key areas in Virginia Tech's new Creativity and Innovation District Living-Learning Community (CID LLC). With VMDO and other university partners, students are helping design the very spaces where they’ll learn, live, and connect as part of the CID LLC.
Strategies for Reducing Risk of COVID-19 in Schools
06.17.20School districts across the country are facing the difficult task of determining if and when K-12 schools will reopen. In an effort to support the health, safety, and well-being of students, the AIA has released 3D models designed by VMDO as well as evidence-based strategies that can assist schools with re-opening.
The Case for Public Space
04.03.20Logic would follow that public architecture is at its best when the public can inhabit and commune in its spaces, and not during a pandemic. Yet, it is precisely during these moments when we realize the essential need for accessible spaces that nourish our physical and mental health. As our daily footprint narrows under “stay at home” measures, we can take our appreciation for public spaces and design better sites and structures that provide essential components for community health at a time when we need it the most.
VMDO Becomes 1st JUST Certified Firm in Virginia
08.23.19The JUST Label offers a framework for building firm-wide accountability and engaging staff in an ongoing dialogue about what it means to be a socially just and equitable organization. VMDO is the first architecture firm in Virginia and the third firm in the Mid-Atlantic to achieve the label.
Clark Elementary Renovations: Rethinking What a Classroom Should Be
02.13.19This is the story of the Clark Elementary renovations – the first in a series of Charlottesville elementary modernizations transforming classrooms throughout the city.
Reflecting on Our Approach to Architecture
12.21.18As we near the end of the year, we reflect on what we've learned, where we've gone, and what we've accomplished – all while recommitting to core principles that are woven throughout our approach to design.