This project is designed to grow out of the steep, fractured mountainside and settle into the calm flatness surrounding Pandapas Pond near Blacksburg, Va. Solid mass-timber walls and heavy massing echo the weight and permanence of the terrain, allowing visitors and researchers to feel immersed in the valley’s shifting topography.

A central pavilion connects the visitor center, research labs, and residential units, unifying the campus through thick CLT walls that provide structural clarity and groundedness. Deeply recessed window openings reveal warm, light-filled interiors shaped by natural light and the irregular geometry of the landscape.

The Research Compound.