The Undergraduate Science Laboratory Building on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus is now open, marking a major milestone in the university’s commitment to advancing science education and research. This new facility, with approximately 100,000 gross square feet, is designed to support modern laboratory practices and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among students and faculty from different colleges.

Consistent with the Facilities Division’s capital construction completion process, remaining cosmetic work will continue for several weeks into the fall semester. Working closely with the contractor, minor construction work will be performed inside and outside the facility during times consistent with teaching and learning schedules. While these efforts continue to fully utilize the now-open building both functionally and aesthetically, students and faculty are asked to use the building only during scheduled classes, labs, and related activities. When the building is fully completed later this fall, it will be available and ready for individual study, collaborative sessions, group projects, and other activities that occur outside of scheduled class/lab times.

The Undergraduate Science Laboratory Building features 26 flexible and adaptable laboratories, including wet, dry and specialty labs. These modern spaces are equipped to meet the evolving teaching needs of the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In these labs, students can work on projects that combine academic instruction with experiential learning and real-world applications.

In addition to modern laboratories, the facility also includes public classrooms, common rooms, offices, informal learning areas, and workspaces for graduate assistants. The completion of the new building represents a major milestone in the Virginia Tech Campus Master Plan, which outlines land use strategies to support the university’s strategic vision.