Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab Named a ‘World Changing Idea’ by Fast Company

Written by WPA on . Posted in Architecture, Civic, Education, Educational, Elizabeth River, Elizabeth River Project, ERP, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Uncategorized, Virginia.

Work Program Architects is proud to share that the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab has been named a winner in Fast Company’s 2025 World Changing Ideas Awards. This national recognition honors bold, creative efforts that respond to society’s most pressing challenges, and this project’s message couldn’t be more urgent.

WPA was recognized alongside garbage-eating microbe technology developed at Harvard, a hydrogen-power data center created by ECL and the first-ever zero-plastic warehouse from Manifest.eco. Other architectural and design projects on the list include the Portland International Airport and the Hilda L. Solis Environmental Justice Center at Puente Hills Regional Park. 

Fast Company noted that the resilience lab “not only used flood-proof materials but also integrated habitats like wetlands, oyster reefs, and native plants to naturally absorb floodwater, shield the structure from erosion, and protect its surroundings from pollution.” The recognition went on to write that “the natural habitats also serve as educational tools for the public, and the design itself can be a model for communities at risk of rising sea levels.”

“The Ryan Resilience Lab was designed as a global model for how communities can adapt to the realities of sea level rise and climate change,” says Sam Bowling, associate principal at Work Program Architects and project architect for the Lab. “That’s why it’s so meaningful to see it recognized by Fast Company as a World Changing Idea — this award spans the globe, just like the challenge we’re working to address.”

This year’s World Changing Ideas Awards featured more than 1,500 entries, with just 100 projects selected as winners. Submissions were judged by Fast Company editors and reporters for their impact, creativity, sustainability, and ability to improve lives. The Lab is included in the Summer 2025 print issue, on newsstands June 17.

“The World Changing Ideas Awards have always been about showcasing the art of the possible,” says Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “We’re proud to recognize the organizations and leaders that are making meaningful progress on the biggest issues of our time.”

Check out the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab here.

NSU Starts Work on $118M Facility to Expand Science and Research Opportunities

Written by WPA on . Posted in Architecture, Education, Educational, Hampton Roads, Higher Education, Norfolk, NSU, Science, Virginia, WPA.

Norfolk State University (NSU) marked a major milestone on April 18 with a groundbreaking ceremony for its $118 million New Science Building, a project that promises to redefine the future of science education and research on campus. The event, which drew students, faculty, state officials, and community leaders, received widespread media coverage across WHRO, WAVY, The Virginian-Pilot, Virginia Business, and other outlets.

The new 131,000-square-foot facility will replace the Roy A. Woods Science Building and unite NSU’s biology, chemistry, and physics departments under one roof, alongside the Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences (DNIMAS). With a planetarium, greenhouse, makerspace, and student-centered collaboration areas, the building is designed to foster innovation, interdisciplinary learning, and public engagement.

“This building will showcase science with its transformative architecture, thereby inspiring students to believe and achieve their goals,” said Dr. Michael Keeve, Dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology.

Work Program Architects (WPA) and SmithGroup lead the design team, while S.B. Ballard Construction Company is serving as the Construction Manager. “This project puts scientific research and education on display in an environment that is inclusive, interactive and energizing,” said CEO Mel Price.

University leaders and project architects emphasized the building’s dual mission: supporting academic excellence while welcoming broader community engagement. Outdoor learning environments will connect the facility to the Ohio Creek watershed, while flexible interior spaces are designed to evolve alongside scientific discovery.

“It is another example of how Norfolk State University is building for the future of our students, our university and our community,” said NSU President Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston.

Set to open in Fall 2027, the facility is targeting LEED Gold certification and aims to serve as a national model for immersive, interdisciplinary science education. 

Read coverage of the groundbreaking from WAVY, WHRO, 13News Now, The Virginian-Pilot, Virginia Business, and The HBCU Advocate.

Proposed Designs for New Maury High School Unveiled

Written by WPA on . Posted in Architecture, Education, Educational, Norfolk, Norfolk Public Schools, Uncategorized.

Last week at a public event, Work Program Architects (WPA), VMDO Architects and Heartland Construction unveiled proposed designs for the new Maury High School in Norfolk, Virginia. During the event, which was held in the cafeteria at the current high school building and hosted by Norfolk Public Schools and the City of Norfolk, community members were invited to weigh in on the designs. 

As noted in local coverage of the event, this was the second in a series of community engagement sessions to gather feedback on plans for the school. 

“The only way we can be successful is to be engaged with the community and to get that feedback,” Heartland Construction Vice President Robert Hudson said in an interview with WAVY at the event. “We encourage the community to come to these meetings and to be vocal about what their hopes and dreams and goals are for this facility.”

The redevelopment is aimed at creating a modern, high-performing learning environment designed to support diverse student needs. The new four-story high school, adjacent to the current Maury High School building, is designed for 1750 students and features outdoor learning spaces, pedestrian pathways, and enhanced facilities. The design also includes facilities for football, baseball, softball and track, as well as a tennis complex, multi-use fields, and a natatorium.

“I like it,” community member Doug Knack told WAVY. “It’s really thoughtful and I think it will accomplish a lot.” “It seems to be a design that will expand over time,” added Kathy Knack, “and I think you need to plan for the future and just not for the immediate needs.”

The designs on display last week were influenced by an initial community meeting that took place in June. In that meeting, community members were invited to share their thoughts, hopes, and dreams for the school’s transformative redevelopment. 

Discussed in both the first and second meetings was the fate of the current Maury High School building. The historic 1911 building will remain, though its future use has yet to be determined.  

“The existing building is a historic landmark, and I think they should keep as much of it in its original form as they can,” Maury alum Victor Jones told WHRO during the event. “I think it should be left up for those people like myself … to come back and marvel and have memories of what it was when I was here as a young freshman.”

Another community event aimed at gathering additional feedback will be scheduled for later in the year. The project is currently scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2028.

“These images you see will change,” VMDO’s Rob Winstead told the community members gathered in the Maury cafeteria. “Next time we come back, they will be different.”

Watch, read and listen to coverage of the event from WAVY, WTKR, The Virginian-Pilot and WHRO.

Read more about the project here.

WAVY, WHRO Highlight Functionality and Resilience of New Perry Glass Studio

Written by WPA on . Posted in AIA, Architecture, Chrysler Museum, Education, ERT, Glass, Glass Studio, Hampton Roads, Monticello Arcade, Norfolk, Reslience, St. Pauls, Urban Design, Vibe District, Virginia, WPA, WPA Studio.

As the second and final phase of the Perry Glass Studio’s expansion and renovation nears completion, members of the press are taking notice of the new structure standing tall alongside the main Chrysler Museum of Art building in Norfolk, Virginia. These recent stories show how the WPA-designed project is elevating the museum’s beloved studio to become a world-class center for glass artistry that also demonstrates innovative approaches to flood mitigation.

The Perry Glass Studio has long been a cornerstone of the museum, offering hands-on experiences and drawing artists from around the world. With the $30 million expansion tripling its size, the studio will better meet a growing demand. “My favorite feature of this whole project is […] the ability to do more than one thing at once,” said Perry Glass Studio Program Director Robin Rogers in a recent WAVY segment.

While the renovation of the previously existing studio into additional instructional space is just now nearing completion, the studio’s 24,000-square-foot expansion has been open for months, providing a cutting edge facility for education, exhibitions, and live demonstrations, while also creating welcoming spaces for the community. 

In addition to functionality, the building’s design prioritizes resilience in the face of flooding. This was the focus of another recent segment, from WHRO. Norfolk’s vulnerability to sea level rise required innovative solutions to ensure the studio could withstand future flooding. 

“In our area in Norfolk, where many of our projects are, we have to deal with the environment first because of flooding,” project architect Robert Crawshaw told WHRO. “So not only are they getting the tidal (flooding), but they’re also getting all of the water that’s draining off of several square miles of area uphill.”

Measures include raising the building and the power transformer that keeps the furnaces running above the floodplain, as well as the installation of a large rain garden, designed by Stromberg Garrigan & Associates. As WHRO highlighted, the project emphasizes sustainability and adaptation, showcasing how design can address both creative and environmental challenges.

Watch and listen to the complete coverage at WAVY and WHRO.

TCC Visual Arts and Design Center Featured in Retrofit Magazine

Written by WPA on . Posted in Adaptive Reuse, Architecture, Downtown Norfolk, Education, Hampton Roads, Higher Education, Norfolk, TCC, Virginia, Visual Arts + Design Center, WPA.

Students have now had a full year in the new Visual Arts and Design Center at Tidewater Community College, but the project is still gaining new fans in the architecture community. The most recent recognition of the adaptive reuse project comes from Retrofit Magazine, which included the center in its package of notable education retrofits.

Located at street level on Boush Street in downtown Norfolk, beneath the 15-story condominium community Harbor Heights, the space now occupied by the Visual Arts and Design Center was previously a grocery store. The new facility was a necessity for the college’s visual arts program, which was forced to borrow space from other departments after electrical issues made its previous home in Portsmouth untenable. 

The challenge for WPA was to quickly design, build, and deliver a new visual arts center in the 38,180-square-foot space that could contain the college’s expanding programs, such as graphic design. Despite volatile pandemic pricing and supply chain challenges, the design and build team managed to stay on schedule and within budget, allowing for classes to start in the fall semester of 2023.

The Visual Arts and Design Center was featured alongside The Henry Ford history museum in Dearborn, Mich.; the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.; and Johns Hopkins University’s adaptive reuse of the Newseum building in Washington, D.C. (which is pictured on the cover of the magazine).

View the full issue here.

The Ryan Resilience Lab is nearing completion

Written by WPA on . Posted in Architecture, Civic, Community, Education, Elizabeth River Project, Environment, ERP, Norfolk, Reslience, Virginia.

The Ryan Resilience Lab is nearing completion in the North Colley area of Norfolk. The new lab is located on Knitting Mill Creek and slated for a spring grand opening. There are a number of “preview events” during the month of November, go to elizabethriver.org for more information. WTKR recently toured the new Resilience Lab. Click here to see the segment.

The Next Wave Campaign with The Elizabeth River Project

Written by WPA on . Posted in Blog, Civic, Education, Educational, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Uncategorized, WPA, WPA Studio.

The Elizabeth River Project is taking up position on the frontlines of the international quest to combat impacts of sea level rise on urban waterfront communities. WPA is proud to be designing the first facility on the East Coast intentionally to be constructed as a resilience model in the urban flood plain.

Continue reading

400 Granby Street • Suite 301 • Norfolk, VA 23510 • Studio: (757) 227-5310

© WPA • Website Maintenance by

400 Granby Street
Suite 301
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 227-5310
© WPA
Website Maintained By