Bishop-Favrao Hall
The Building as an Educational Tool
Step into Bishop-Favrao Hall and you'll notice the structural elements typically concealed behind walls and ceiling panels in other buildings are on full display here.
By exposing and labeling these elements, the building reflects the department's student-centric philosophy, enabling students to directly observe the structures they study in action. The entire building is wirelessly enabled and equipped with open, central workspaces for diverse purposes, such as studio spaces, computer cafés, or shop areas. Public spaces and offices feature exposed ceilings, offering students and visitors an opportunity to view the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems.
In addition to its use as a tool for student learning, Bishop-Favrao serves the facility needs of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction by housing administrative and faculty offices, classrooms, seminar rooms, and studios.
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The building's laboratories and shop area dominate the first floor and feature state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. The space houses a Virtual Construction and Manufacturing Laboratory, the BuildLAB, space for technicians, and a classroom. A large overhead door allows materials and equipment to be moved in and out using the department's Toyota forklift, woodshop supplies, and other materials.
The second floor offers a large lobby display area, a lab space home to the ARCADE lab, and two large assembly-type classrooms with movable tables that can be reconfigured quickly. Large wall-mounted, touch-activated plasma screens provide state-of-the-art teaching using simultaneous video and computer projections on multiple screens. The ceiling configuration is angled to enhance the rooms acoustics.
The third floor may be the most unique space on the Virginia Tech campus. This space features a large open room format, with a central opening to the floor above. From just about any place on the floor, there is a 360 degree view that takes in the campus to the south and east, the golf course on the west side, and Brush Mountain to the north. This is enhanced by the clear transparency of the faculty offices.
The space is used by students to work before, between, and after classes. There are also several different seating opportunities from movable and reconfigurable tables, to tall cafe stools, to more relaxed reading chairs. The floor is also equipped with two conference rooms.
The fourth floor includes administrative offices, an Executive Conference room, and a graduate studio. This space has two small seating areas that are adjacent to the administrative offices and a central opening that allows a visual link to the floor below. Much like on the third floor, the faculty offices here have clear transparent glass walls to allow natural light to penetrate into the space and maintain the linkages of faculty to students.
The south end of the floor is devoted to graduate students, featuring an array of desk carrels and a substantial work table. A well-equipped kitchen, where students can prepare their meals and refreshments, and lockers for secure storage of their belongings, are also provided for student convenience. On the north side, the space is divided into office areas for faculty.
History of the Namesakes
The construction of the building was made possible by the generous contributions of numerous Building Construction alumni and friends. Their names are commemorated on the donor wall located in the second-floor lobby and on plaques throughout the building. Bishop-Favrao Hall is named in honor of Richard Bishop and William Favrao.