#390 - From Idea to Execution: Heliomorphism

Sven Shockey, FAIA joins Evan and Cormac to talk about Virginia Tech Academic Building One — a 300,000-square-foot computer science and computer engineering building on a new campus in Alexandria, Virginia whose faceted, photovoltaic-integrated form was derived through 1,400 computational iterations. They explore what it means to design a building's exterior before the interior program is finalized, how three distinct types of building-integrated photovoltaics get assigned to 17 different facades based on orientation and performance data, and what a sewage wastewater energy exchange system has to do with a tunnel under a parking lot. This episode is especially relevant for design architects and architecture students who want to understand how computational tools actually interact with design judgment — and for anyone who's ever wondered what it looks and feels like to sit inside a building where the facade is doing real work. The shadows move. The light is soft. The algorithm found a non-intuitive answer, and then the real design work began. Episode Links Guest Sven Shockey on LinkedIn Sven Shockey at SmithGroup SmithGroup SmithGroup website SmithGroup on LinkedIn SmithGroup on Instagram Virginia Tech Academic Building One Project page — SmithGroup Virginia Tech Innovation Campus First building nears completion — Virginia Tech News Alumnus plays large role in designing the campus — Virginia Tech News Virginia Tech's Striking New Building Pays Homage to the Sun — Interior Design Virginia Tech Innovation Campus Academic 1 Building — Architect Magazine A Window to the Future — Inform Magazine Design centers on sustainability & connectivity — SmithGroup (2020) First building nears completion — SmithGroup (2024) Awards Interior Design Best of Year 2025 — Dual Honors AIA Virginia 2025 Design Awards Context: Virginia Tech & Amazon HQ2 Virginia Tech Innovation Campus key to attracting Amazon HQ2 — Virginia Tech News Related Work: DC Water Headquarters DC Water Headquarters — SmithGroup Putting Wastewater to Work — SmithGroup Perspectives DC Water HQ earns LEED Platinum — DC Water SmithGroup ----- Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.