VCU Receives Two Architectural Awards for Recent Building Projects

By Jessica Ferreira
VCU Communications and Public Relations

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Molecular Medicine Research Building and the W. Baxter Perkinson, Jr. Building have been awarded Project of the Year in the public and private sectors by Richmond Real Estate Group.

Recognized as exemplary in-fill projects in downtown Richmond, both structures were completed last year on the MCV Campus.

Towering eight stories above East Broad Street, the Molecular Medicine Research Building is the newest addition to the VCU School of Medicine, housing 48 principal investigators and their staffs.

The structure boasts many environmentally friendly features, including a green roof on the second floor terrace, an energy recovery wheel in the air handling system and low hydrocarbon painting and carpeting materials. Ballinger of Philadelphia served as lead architect on the project.

The 55,000-square-foot Perkinson Building is an extension of the VCU School of Dentistry, allowing for increased student enrollment and further expansion in research and patient access to oral health care.

Designed and constructed by Commonwealth Architects, the building’s red brick and concrete exterior incorporates design elements from nearby buildings, while metal panels and glass on the fourth floor indicate the technological capabilities available inside the $20 million structure. The building also received LEED Silver certification last month for its levels of energy efficiency and sustainability.

The awards were presented last month during a dinner meeting of the Richmond Real Estate Group. Eugene Trani, Ph.D., former president of VCU, served as the meeting’s speaker and accepted both awards.

The Richmond Real Estate Group is a professional organization comprised of allied businesses that deal in real estate, including brokers, financial institutions, contractors, facilities managers, zoning attorneys, architects and engineers.