TCC’s Joint-Use Library, Virginia Beach Student Center earn design awards

The Joint-Use Library and the Virginia Beach Student Center were among five higher education/ research projects recognized in the mid-Atlantic region. TCC was the lone community college to earn the honor from the weekly magazine that connects contractors, project owners, engineers, architects, government regulators and industry suppliers. Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the District of Columbia make up the mid-Atlantic region.
 
The Joint-Use Library, the result of a partnership between TCC and the City of Virginia Beach, is one of the most innovative libraries in the region and opened in August 2013. The 125,000-square-foot library, which houses more than 128,000 items, achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The library was also a recipient of the Virginia Beach Planning Commission Design Awards, which recognize creative and innovative development solutions in the built environment.
 
The 89,000-square-foot Virginia Beach Student Center, which opened on Jan. 13, is a multipurpose building built over a retention pond. The student center boasts a design emphasizing environmental consciousness. It won the 2014 Crystal Award in higher education for community colleges, presented at the Energy and Sustainability Conference last February.
 
An independent jury from Engineering News Record recognized 28 projects in 16 categories. Eleven projects were awarded the high honor of “Best Project” in their respective categories. Those projects will advance to the national competition to be considered for a “Best of the Best” national award.
 
All winning projects will be featured in the December issue of ENR MidAtlantic and honored during an awards event on Dec. 12 in Baltimore. One project will also be honored as Best Overall Project in the region.