Walter L. Rice Eduction Building

Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences at Virgina Commonwealth University

Train & Partners, in collaboration with Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, was selected by Virginia Commonwealth University to design the Master Plan for the Inger & Walter Rice Center of Environmental Life Sciences. This 364-acre property, with a 70-acre lake, is located halfway between the Shirley and Berkley Plantations on the James River. The Plan balances programmatic, environmental, social, aesthetic, and economic objectives to create a clear vision and concept for the creative use and management of the property. It responds contextually to the local environment, cultural landscape, and historic traditions. As the first building on the Rice Center site, the Education Building will serve as an outdoor, living laboratory for VCU students and faculty to conduct hands-on research in the areas of ecology, environmental sciences, and natural resources management. The building program calls for LEED-certified laboratory, classroom, office, meeting, and support spaces to accommodate the wide array of activities envisioned for the site.