The HIVE at SU

This project still has people buzzing.

With the design team of architect ESa, Shockey performed the rehabilitation of an 18,000-square-foot National Guard Armory into an award-winning technology hub, innovation accelerator, and magnet location for tech business startup, expansion, and relocation.

The historic Hazel-Pruitt Armory building, built in 1940, was unveiled and reopened as the home of Shenandoah University’s Hub for Innovators, Veterans, and Entrepreneurs (The HIVE). Originally having served as a training ground for the National Guard from World War II until the early 1990s, the building was once home to the only guard unit whose soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

The HIVE complex is now the new home to SU’s Center for Immersive Learning (SCIL), where students create immersive virtual reality experiences to enhance learning, training, and more. The school’s eSports management students also have a place, as the repurposed Armory’s primary focus is now on technology fields ranging from augmented and virtual reality to cybersecurity to data analytics and artificial intelligence.

The building also houses resources to foster outreach to veterans and military-associated families through the Student Veterans Center, and the Center for Entrepreneurship provides support for people who want to launch small businesses.

While preserving architectural and historic elements, Shockey stabilized the building, removed asbestos, and installed new systems. The modern design features open, flexible spaces with glass cubicles to encourage collaboration.

The HIVE now offers services in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia, City of Winchester, counties of Frederick and Clarke, and local educational entities such as Laurel Ridge Community College and the Emil and Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center (part of Winchester City Public Schools), as well as other local organizations and private investors.

AIA Middle Tennessee awarded the project its Design Award, and Learning By Design magazine presented the project its Grand Prize in the Historic Repurpose category.