March 2024
AAD Insider's Scoop
March 2024
Jim Bassett named director of the Virginia Tech School of Architecture
“My objective is to fortify the foundations of the school while integrating fresh perspectives from individuals who share our appreciation and commitment to architecture, experimentation, community, and the education of architects,” Bassett said.
News and Happenings around the College
Animatronics course encourages innovation and collaboration
Thomas Tucker, associate professor for the School of Visual Arts, led an innovative pilot animatronics course this fall. The course combined visual arts and robotics, delving into animatronics principles and creating lifelike robotic pieces. From crafting intricate features to coding and programming nuanced movements, the class covered the entire spectrum of animatronics creation.
The Power and Practice of Art in Healthy Communities
The School of Performing Arts and Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library are preparing to host three nationally recognized artists and thought leaders to the Blacksburg Public Library this spring to address the question: “What role do arts and culture play in building and maintaining healthy communities?”
Industrial Design Students Present “Aging in Place” Project at By Design Conference
Third-year Industrial Design students presented innovative projects at SFCS Architect's By Design Conference. The Aging In Place project, a collaboration with SFCS Architects and Warm Hearth Village, addressed aging-related challenges through campus tours, resident interviews, and prototype testing.
Architecture professor adapts vibration reduction device for residential use
Architecture Professor Mehdi Setareh's portable tuned mass damper device made structural vibration-reducing technology more accessible in 2017. Now, he's made the design smaller and less complicated to set up for use in residential homes.
AAD video stories:
School of Performing Arts
School of Architecture
School of Visual Arts
Ancient To Modern: The Ceramics Collection from Virginia Tech's Library of Material Culture
Virginia Tech Richmond Center
2810 N. Parham Rd., Suite 300, Henrico, Virginia
- On View: Mar 18–23, 2024, 8am-5pm, (Sat 10-5)
- Reception: Wed, Mar 20, 4–6pm
Ancient to Modern explores beauty, the value of making, and the trajectory of humankind through ceramic artifacts from the Library of Material Culture, collected by Bill Green, Industrial Design professor at Virginia Tech. Organized by Martha Sullivan for the National Council of Education for the Ceramic Arts annual conference in Richmond, Virginia, this exhibition is a timeline of historical ceramics from Egypt, Rome, China, Japan, North and South America, Africa, across Europe, and more. Special additions include current work and research by faculty of Virginia Tech and a first-time exhibition in the United States for faculty and students from the Malawi University of Science and Technology, a Virginia Tech partner institution. Join us for a reception from 4-6 pm on Wednesday, March 20, and meet 2024 NCECA Multicultural Fellowship winner, Clemence Ngwale, from Blantyre, Malawi.
Upcoming Events
- Pride Weekend, April 5-7
- AAD Commencement, May 9
- Alumni Weekend, June 6-9
Stay up to date with the latest news from the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design!