AV/IT TEAM: (Pictured left to right)
Wesley Coupard, manager of AB1 Building Operations, Dave Wilder, senior director of DC Building Operations, Diego Romero, manager of AB1 Classroom AV, Rob Viers, VT director of Classroom AV
GOALS: Academic Building One (AB1), a 300,000-square-foot, 11-story facility in Alexandria, Virginia, serves as the hub of Virginia Tech’s growing Innovation Campus. AB1 operates within a broader network of facilities spread across Northern Virginia—each with distinct functions and user groups. For students, faculty, and visitors, navigation, communication, and a sense of shared identity in this dispersed urban campus present a unique challenge.
As Dave Wilder, senior director of DC Building Operations for Virginia Tech, described it, the goal was to “connect people to spaces” while also connecting the broader campus ecosystem.
CHALLENGES: While Virginia Tech’s main campus in Blacksburg benefits from a centralized, walkable environment, its Northern Virginia presence is inherently distributed. Graduate programs, research labs, and administrative services are spread across multiple sites—often connected only by public transportation.
AB1 functions not only as the academic hub for this network, but as a public-facing venue. In its first year alone, the building hosted more than 160 events and over 12,000 visitors, including conferences and third-party gatherings.
AB1’s dual identity as a keystone academic facility and public venue gives rise to a diverse set of needs: helping users navigate a large, multi-floor building with diverse spaces; reducing reliance on staffed information desks while supporting high volumes of first-time visitors; reinforcing a shared identity across multiple facilities and programs; and delivering timely, relevant information about events, schedules, and transportation.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: To address these challenges, Virginia Tech worked with 22Miles to implement an integrated wayfinding and communications platform designed around accessibility, flexibility, and user autonomy.
At the core of the deployment are interactive kiosks located at key building entry points. Powered by the 22Miles platform, these kiosks serve as central navigation hubs, allowing users to search for classrooms, departments, or personnel; access step-by-step wayfinding within the building; view current events and campus announcements; and retrieve transportation data, including Metro and bus schedules.
The experience extends beyond the kiosk. QR codes throughout the building will enable users to transition seamlessly to a mobile web interface—also supported by 22Miles—allowing them to continue navigation and access information on their own devices. This mobile-first approach reflects how users actually interact with the space: starting at a fixed point, then moving freely while staying connected to relevant information.
The platform also supports additional contextual tools, including a 3D virtual tour for pre-visit orientation, integration with campus news and event feeds, and support for culturally relevant programming, such as international holidays and community events.
Rather than functioning as isolated displays, these elements form a connected information ecosystem that allows users to discover, navigate, and engage with the campus.
The system balances centralized data management with distributed content contributions. Directory and space data are managed centrally using Virginia Tech’s existing systems, while the 22Miles visual experience platform provides a flexible layer for delivering that information across kiosks and mobile interfaces. This ensures that updates can be reflected consistently across touchpoints in real time.
At the same time, communications teams contribute content that reflects campus-wide messaging priorities, creating a shared but adaptable communications environment.
The system also supports a feedback loop. Planned user surveys and platform analytics will help the university understand how people engage with wayfinding, directory search, and content, informing ongoing refinements.
For users, the system reduces friction at every stage of the journey. For the institution, the impact is broader. By leveraging a flexible platform approach with 22Miles, Virginia Tech has established AB1 as a true hub—supporting not only academic programs, but also events, partnerships, and community engagement.
Just as importantly, the system provides a foundation for future innovation. The university is exploring how additional data sources, such as occupancy insights and advanced analytics, can be incorporated into the platform, further enhancing how space is utilized and experienced.
Academic Building One is a model for how universities can rethink campus experience in a distributed, urban context. By focusing on user needs—navigation, access to information, and a sense of connection—Virginia Tech, in collaboration with 22Miles, created a system that not only addresses immediate challenges but also adapts as the campus grows.
