VCU news

By Anne Buckley

Virginia Commonwealth University on Wednesday will dedicate a new $2.6 million, research and education building at the Rice Center, VCU’s 343-acre living laboratory on the James River. The building was constructed with a goal of achieving the highest sustainability rating possible, LEED platinum.

The 4,900-square-foot Walter L. Rice Education Building, which houses lecture and laboratory rooms for classes, a conference room and administrative offices as well an outdoor classroom pavilion, will be dedicated at 4 p.m. on Oct. 15.

VCU has committed to ensuring that the highest level of sustainability be met for all facilities at the center, which also includes a research pier with boathouses. The building incorporates features such as geothermal heating and cooling, solar electrical power generation and advanced water recycling and wastewater treatment systems. Platinum status is being pursued through the nationally recognized U.S. Green Building Council's LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Green Building Rating System.

The education building completes Phase I of development at the property, which VCU uses for research, education and outreach. The building itself will serve as an educational tool for faculty, students and the community at large about the benefits of sustainable building practices.

The VCU Rice Center was created from an ecology-rich parcel of land that Inger Rice donated to VCU in 2000. It is located on the north bank of the historic James River, southeast of Richmond in Charles City County. VCU Life Sciences uses the property for research, education and outreach activities, many of which focus on large rivers and their riparian landscapes.