RADFORD, Va.— Radford University celebrated the grand reopening of Reed Hall and Curie Hall following a three-year, $33 million renovation. CannonDesign was the prime architect and laboratory planner, while Waller, Todd & Sadler, a Woolpert Company, provided architecture and interior design services for the project. Planning began in 2016 and incorporated 94,840 square feet of classrooms, labs, offices, collaborative space and research facilities.
Reed Hall, constructed in 1939, and Curie Hall, built in 1971, were transformed to serve the current and future needs of faculty and students at the Artis College of Science and Technology. At the ribbon-cutting event, Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., said he looks forward to the expanded possibilities for collaboration this renovation brings.
“I cannot wait to see the amazing discoveries that will be made by our faculty and students in this state-of-the-art facility, designed for learning and research,” said Hemphill, adding that this collaboration is “a defining characteristic for Radford University and the Highlander experience.”
The facility supports several university science departments and includes an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Center, a Geohazards and Unmanned Systems Research Center, a Geology Maker Lab, a Tree Ring Lab, GIS Center, a Virtual Reality Lab, the Artis Cybersecurity Training and Education Lab, a greenhouse and dedicated housing for the school’s Scanning Tunnel Microscope.
Woolpert Architect and Practice Leader Stelios Xystros said the buildings were redesigned to support the modern needs of students and the Artis College’s evolving curriculum.
“Universities have to plan for the next step in education and provide the environment that will best promote and further students’ needs. This is especially true in the rapidly developing fields of science and technology,” Xystros said. “Radford has made an extremely sound investment in the school and its students, who now have the opportunity to help move the world forward. We are honored to support the vision of Radford and the university community that has been overwhelmingly supportive of this project.”
CannonDesign Architect and Vice President Stephen Stinnette remarked on how the renovated facility reflects on the past, while looking toward the future.
“This 21st-century academic science facility restores the historic Reed Hall as the primary entrance to the Artis College of Science and Technology, while providing modern, light-filled collaboration space inserted seamlessly into the void between the two buildings,” Stinnette said. “With the university’s mission emphasizing excellence in teaching, scholarship and a vision toward the future, this project provides state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories that will serve Radford University well for many years to come.”
