Metropolis Honors Virginia Tech Academic Building One with 2026 Planet Positive Award

Virginia Tech Academic Building One has been named the winner of the Higher Education category in the 2026 Metropolis Planet Positive Awards, a program that recognizes excellence in sustainable, healthy and equitable design across the built environment.

Designed by SmithGroup, Academic Building One aligns with the sun’s path to optimize daylight and energy performance. The building is also home to the largest known building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) façade in North America, seamlessly integrating renewable energy generation into the building envelope and creating a dynamic, inspiring learning environment.

View the complete list of winners and honorees here.