(Courtesy of Miranda Hanlon)
New buildings are emerging but the subtle pattern lacks richness in storytelling
BY NYLAH MITCHELL, COPY EDITOR
Cool air circulates as the newest building on Mason’s Fairfax campus welcomes students. With floor-to-ceiling glass windows, polished concrete and sleek panels, the new building feels adjacent to a tech incubator or a futuristic airport terminal. In many ways, it’s impressive, but there’s a lingering frigidness.
Mason is no stranger to the modern, high-tech architectural designs, with projects like the Fuse Building and the Activities Building signaling an innovation-focused vision. However, as construction accelerates, Mason’s new identity begins to lack the character that makes campus feel more than just square footage and photo-ops.
The Fuse at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, is nearing the ‘closeout’ stage, with interior designs still being sketched. This innovative building featuring state-of-the-art laboratories boasts an exterior of slanted steel paneling, a caved corner balcony and green-space rooftop. Meanwhile, the new Activities Building on West Campus is still in the design development phase, where planning structural systems and visual scales are crucial.
Though these buildings are on two different campuses, both projects reflect a larger aesthetic that is also occurring at other schools. For instance, Virginia Tech recently opened the Academic One Building, featuring geometric paneling and tech-forward vibe, at their new Innovation Campus in Potomac Yard.
Both Mason and Virginia Tech seem to be aligning their construction efforts with Arlington’s tech hub, positioning themselves as research universities with sleek, future-facing designs. However, there’s a disruption to the nearby historic neighborhoods that emphasize a colonial aesthetic.
“I like the contemporary architecture because I think it sends a message that Mason is about the future,” said Professor Lisa Bauman, who teaches ‘Introduction to Architecture,’at Mason.
“We have a lot of embedded ideas in America about what college is supposed to look like… We’ve all watched Harry Potter, seen movies set at Harvard or Yale with ivy-covered stone. Then students come here and see brick and steel—and they’re disappointed. We should explore why that is.”
Professor Bauman acknowledges the vision and disconnect because of the emotional and cultural expectations that come with change, especially on campuses we live and study at. Embracing innovation while holding onto those supposed realities is truly at the crux of Mason designing new spaces.
(Courtesy of Miranda Hanlon)
But a common pattern emerging with the buildings are the color schemes that fall into modern defaults—slate grey, black, white—with a dash of green and gold. At first glance, buildings like Horizon Hall are “cool” because they’re new and refreshing. But after walking past another brick-and-steel structure, the novelty wears off.
The architecture, then, lacks a sense of place, rootedness, emotional attachment—a nod to Mason’s Virginian roots or complex colonial context. Minutes away, the brick-lined colonial charm in Old Town Fairfax remains—where is the rich integration?
It’s why Bauman’s point is reinforced when students often gravitate towards Virginia Tech or even UVA’s stone architecture, not just because of traditionalism, but rather its timeless aspect. Even if Mason were to go full-throttle with the modern design, the fieldhouse-like Activities Building, with its glass ceiling, could’ve married form and function—modern, yet playful and radiant.
As Mason expands and designs in the same style, the campuses start to feel more like Silicon Valley than as a school near the nation’s capital. Then again, Mason doesn’t need Gothic revival towers. However, it should embrace elements that mix heritage with innovation: arched brickwork or textured stone. Mason’s mission thrives on and celebrates differences in diversity and inclusivity. The architecture should reflect those values, not mute them.
Mason’s new buildings are undeniably stepping into the future—but they shouldn’t disregard the stories, cultures, and history that have surrounded and shaped the campus. The next design chapter should be as reflective as it is innovative.
