VMDO Architects Partners on Landmark Engineering & Arts Building at Old Dominion University

The Commonwealth-funded Engineering & Arts Building reflects ODU's vision for bringing engineering, technology, design and the arts together in a shared environment that advances research, creativity and public engagement.

NORFOLK, Va., July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Commonwealth of Virginia's approval of funding for Old Dominion University's Engineering & Arts Building marks a defining milestone for the University and the future of higher education in the Commonwealth. Representing the largest capital investment in ODU's history, the project reflects the University's commitment to advancing interdisciplinary education, expanding research, strengthening workforce development and deepening engagement with the Hampton Roads community.

"As the largest capital investment in the University's history, we will be able to provide the sophisticated, dual-purpose spaces required to match our accelerating research trajectory, while anchoring interdisciplinary collaboration for decades to come. This state support will draw premier talent and venture capital to Virginia, inspire commercial breakthroughs and reinforce the University's mission to graduate the skilled professionals required to power a thriving Commonwealth."

P. Murry Pitts - Rector, Old Dominion University Board of Visitors

VMDO Architects is honored to partner with Old Dominion University, Ballinger and Diamond Schmitt Architects in translating the University's vision into a building designed to foster collaboration, creativity and discovery.

"Our integrated design team was deeply energized and inspired by the way this project was conceived: a rare opportunity to imagine a building where the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology and the College of Arts and Letters no longer stand apart, but intersect, influence, and elevate one another."

"The design builds on this idea of convergence and will act as a campus gateway and active beacon. It will promote innovation, put creativity on display, and be a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration as a dynamic research platform and student hub. We look forward to it becoming a remarkable and memorable place for convening both the campus and the community."

Joe Atkins, AIA, Principal-in-Charge at VMDO Architects.

More than a new academic building, the approximately 141,000-square-foot facility serves as a physical expression of Old Dominion University's strategic vision. Advanced engineering laboratories, collaborative design studios, maker spaces, exhibition galleries, public gathering spaces and an 800-seat performance hall are woven together to create opportunities for discovery that extend beyond traditional academic boundaries. Every element of the building supports ODU's commitment to preparing graduates for careers where technical expertise and creative thinking increasingly intersect.

As engineering, technology, design and the arts increasingly converge, universities have an opportunity to rethink how learning, research and innovation occur. Rather than organizing disciplines in isolation, the Engineering & Arts Building brings together the Frank Batten College of Engineering & Technology and the College of Arts & Letters in a shared environment intentionally designed to encourage interaction, experimentation and new ways of solving complex challenges.

The project reflects an equally collaborative design process. VMDO joined Ballinger, nationally recognized for engineering and research environments, and Diamond Schmitt, internationally recognized for performing arts and cultural facilities, to create an integrated design team whose expertise mirrors the interdisciplinary aspirations of the project itself. Working closely with Old Dominion University throughout planning and design, the team developed a building that balances sophisticated research environments, inspiring spaces for artistic expression and welcoming public destinations within a unified architectural vision.

Architecturally, the building expresses convergence through transparent research environments, interdisciplinary studios, collaborative commons and adaptable laboratories that encourage interaction while evolving alongside future technologies, teaching methods and research priorities.

For VMDO, the Engineering & Arts Building represents the embodiment of a shared vision between an ambitious university, an exceptional design team and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Together, they have created more than a landmark academic facility. They have established a new gateway for Old Dominion University and a lasting investment in the people, partnerships and ideas that will shape the University's second century. The result is a building designed not only to support today's academic programs, but to adapt to the University's future ambitions.

DESIGNED FOR DISCOVERY

The Engineering & Arts Building is organized around a simple idea: innovation happens when disciplines intersect – where research, teaching, performance and making occur side by side. Purposefully flexible, the building is designed to evolve alongside emerging technologies, research priorities, and teaching methods. Program Highlights:

• Advanced R1 engineering research laboratories
• Flexible wet and dry laboratories
• Heavy-duty high-bay research spaces
• Motion Capture Laboratory
• Student design studios
• Fabrication and maker spaces
• Exhibition galleries
• Collaborative commons
• 800-seat performance hall

"The Batten College of Engineering and Technology is excited about the opportunities the new Engineering and Arts Building will provide to accommodate our growing research enterprise and expand capabilities, especially in the areas of maritime systems, coastal resilience and national defense. The building will also provide spaces to support synergistic collaborations among faculty, staff and students from the arts and engineering to develop creative solutions to challenging problems."

 Jeffrey W. Fergus, Ph.D. - Dean, Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology

Academic Partners

• Frank Batten College of Engineering & Technology
• College of Arts & Letters

Research & Innovation

• Advanced R1 Engineering Research Laboratories
• Flexible Wet & Dry Laboratories
• Heavy-Duty High-Bay Research Facilities
• Motion Capture Laboratory
• Student Design Studios
• Fabrication & Maker Spaces

"The Engineering and Arts Building will bring transformative changes to our students. Those studying music, theater, dance, art and film will collaborate and present their work in a setting that is both beautiful and technologically advanced. By creating a space where connections between arts and engineering can thrive, we will seed innovation and excellence. The building will also serve as a valuable community asset. In its performing arts venues, collaborative spaces and labs, the public will witness scientific and cultural advances made by Monarchs."

Laura Delbrugge, Ph.D. - Dean, College of Arts and Letters

BUILDING VIRGINIA'S FUTURE
The Engineering & Arts Building advances Old Dominion University's strategic commitment to research excellence, workforce development, and community engagement.

• Expand interdisciplinary research opportunities.
• Strengthen partnerships with industry, government and cultural organizations.
• Support ODU's R1 research enterprise.
• Prepare graduates for careers requiring technical expertise and creative thinking.
• Create a new cultural destination for Hampton Roads
• Reinforce ODU's role as Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded public research university.

Together, Old Dominion University, the Commonwealth of Virginia and an integrated design team have created more than a landmark interdisciplinary building. They have established a place where discovery, creativity and collaboration will shape generations of students while strengthening the University's role as Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded public research university.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Old Dominion University
Michael Johnson | Senior Director of Design & Construction | 757.683.5682 | [email protected]

Nick Preble | Capital Project Manager | 757.683.3011 | [email protected]

Neal Kessler | Director of Campus Planning | 734.693.1622 | [email protected]

VMDO Architects
Michael Deitz | Director of Creative Content | 518.772.9959 | [email protected]

Kira Gould | Kira Gould CONNECT | 415.690.0182 | [email protected]

PROJECT FACT SHEET

DESIGN TEAM

SOURCE VMDO Architects