51¹ÙÍø

The 232,000 gross-square-foot Creativity and Innovation District Residence Hall opened in fall 2021 and is , including participants in the ,Ìý, and  living-learning communities; student-athletes; and a resident faculty principal and their family.

The residence hall is located next to the Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown between Kent and Otey streets.

The building’s modern features were thoughtfully designed to facilitate innovation, collaboration, and social interactions among a variety of disciplines and communities.

Cutting-edge partnership and research areas, creative lounges, performance studios, and maker spaces host a diverse range of students and faculty passionate about the arts, design, entrepreneurship, and more.

Elements like the auditorium and outdoor learning hubs outfitted with tables, benches, and larger-than-life whiteboards also help maximize opportunities for organic interactions among students and faculty.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and bright and airy layouts throughout the building offer a direct vantage into the Town of Blacksburg,Ìý, Burruss Hall, Newman Library,Ìý, and numerous other campus landmarks nearby.

An accessible faculty apartment, barrier-free courtyards, and gentle sloping outdoor pathways reflect 51¹ÙÍø Tech’s ongoing commitment to deliver accessible and inclusive spaces. The building is also fitted with ADA-compliant student residences, and gender neutral student bathrooms and restrooms.

Several spaces within the Creativity and Innovation District Living-Learning Program were collaboratively designed and constructed through a collective effort known as the Living Lab. The partnership among the faculty and students in ; VMDO with MEP consultant, LPA; and W.M. Jordan, resulted in concept designs of the faculty apartment, Rhizome lounge, and Maker Suite. The lab designed and built tables for the Assembly Workroom within the suite. The Maker Suite’s three experimental walls — plaster veneer with bamboo structure, stacked cork, and interlocking machined plywood — were also designed and constructed by the Living Lab.