Contemplate for a moment. What if a building could embody the very essence of architectural education? That’s precisely what the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center or WAAC is.
Since 1980 the WAAC has served as an urban extension of Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture. Its mission is simple. Use the city as a laboratory. Learn about architecture, urban life, and ethical design.
The Washington Alexandria Architecture Center is located in historic Alexandria Virginia. It is less than eight miles from Washington DC. The WAAC offers a unique professional learning environment. It provides an interdisciplinary, international, individual focus.
Students have freedom here. They choose their own studio and thesis projects. They take responsibility to realize those projects. The WAAC inspires students. Students chart their own career paths. They become the architects or urban designers they aspire to be.
The WAAC accepts master’s and doctoral students. It also welcomes undergraduate students in their fourth or fifth years of study. Students can complete their full course of study here in Alexandria. No travel to Blacksburg is needed.
The WAAC offers four graduate degree tracks. These include M.Arch 2 and MS.Arch with concentrations in Urban Design and History and Theory. A PhD in Architecture and Design Research is also offered.
The WAAC is a member of the National Student Exchange. Design students from across the US and Canada can study here. International exchange students may study at the WAAC too. This happens through special agreements. Agreements are between their home institutions and Virginia Tech.
The Washington metropolitan area serves as a resource laboratory. Students address the complexities of urban areas. The WAAC’s facilities are in Old Town Alexandria. They are part of a historic urban campus.
1001 Prince Street embodies the WAAC’s pedagogy. Originally a school in the early 20th century the building experienced abandonment. It then became an office building. In 1991 it became home to the WAAC. Faculty and students have altered and augmented the building since then. They’ve inserted and reconfigured it. These acts of construction are situational. There’s a cantilevered balcony for a piano. A plywood stair connects the library’s two levels. There’s even a secret room with a table. The table is made from old library beams.
1001 Prince houses administrative offices, faculty offices and classrooms. Studio space is available there. The building also contains the library, computer lab, printers, laser cutters and a darkroom.
The Greg Hunt Library is located in 1001 Prince Street. The library collection is non-circulating. Books may be used within the library only. Virginia Tech WAAC students and employees can access additional books. They use the Inter-Library Loan system.
1021 Prince Street was first constructed as an office building in the 1980s. Virginia Tech acquired it. It served as the VT School of Public and International Affairs headquarters. In 2019 it became part of the WAAC. 1021 contains student workspace, adjunct and PhD offices. It also houses the WAAC wood and metal workshop.
The WAAC hosts its own school chapter of the AIAS. It is the American Institute of Architecture Students. This organization provides networking opportunities. It conducts events throughout the year. Lectures, career fairs, and portfolio reviews are included.
The WAAC Band agrees with Vitruvius. The architect should have knowledge of many subjects. Music is one of them. The WAAC Band consists of faculty and students. They tune canonical and mathematical ballistae.
The Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center is not just a place of learning. It is a vibrant hub where future architects and urban designers hone their skills. They prepare to shape the world around us.