The VCU Depot Earns Top Honor from AIA Virginia
Commonwealth Architects received an Honor Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from AIA Virginia for the rehabilitation of the former Richmond Terminal Depot for Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. The jury noted that “Not only did the design team for VCU uncover a gem of a historic building that had been hidden from the public for decades, they also knit together several neighboring buildings to create a new school for the arts and a center for the community.”
Built in 1907, the Richmond Terminal Depot was constructed to serve the Richmond and Chesapeake Bay Railway. The railway proved unprofitable and by 1938, the property was purchased by the Richmond Glass Company. The site consisted of four buildings: the large terminal/ storefront building facing Broad Street and three storage buildings to the rear, two of which were connected during the rehabilitation with the construction of a new infill addition.
Commonwealth Architects received an Honor Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from AIA Virginia for the rehabilitation of the former Richmond Terminal Depot for Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.
The jury noted that “Not only did the design team for VCU uncover a gem of a historic building that had been hidden from the public for decades, they also knit together several neighboring buildings to create a new school for the arts and a center for the community.”
Built in 1907, the Richmond Terminal Depot was constructed to serve the Richmond and Chesapeake Bay Railway. The railway proved unprofitable and by 1938, the property was purchased by the Richmond Glass Company. The site consisted of four buildings: the large
terminal/ storefront building facing Broad Street and three storage buildings to the rear, two of which were connected during the rehabilitation with the construction of a new infill addition.
More than 100 years after its construction, this adaptive reuse project transforms a building that once served as a transportation hub into a facility that serves as a hub for the VCU arts community. The rehabilitation of The Depot continues the revitalization of the Broad Street corridor and strengthens the character of the surrounding neighborhood.
We are proud to be recognized with an award that celebrates contributions to the built environment and are clear examples of thoughtful and engaging design that focuses specifically on excellence in strategies, tactics, and technologies that advance the art, craft, and science of preserving historically significant buildings and sites. We celebrate the contributions of our client, our consultants, and our team members towards the success of the Depot project.
This year juries identified 8 Honor Awards and 13 Merit Awards. Award categories included Architecture, Historic Preservation, Contextual Design, Interior Design and Residential Design.
These projects will be on display in Design 2015: A Retrospective of Winning Work, at The Branch Museum of Architecture in Design, now through January 3rd, 2016. Our team was recognized by our distinguished peers and presented the award during the recent Visions for Architecture gala event at the Science Museum of Virginia.
