I was fascinated by the beautiful campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg the first day I arrived. I noticed its history as I started walking around, the university and the town have done a good job preserving and celebrating it. I thought of archiving them digitally and sharing them with people who don’t have the opportunity to visit the campus. This led to the project aroundVT, the use of photogrammetry to capture, store, and visualize notable structures around Virginia Tech.

Some context behind the structures. 

William A. Caldwell – the student who walked 28 miles from his home to the school and became the first to enroll in the university.

Solitude – The oldest building on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus, was once a plantation home. Adjacent to campus lies Smithfield, another plantation that belonged to the same slaveholding family and now functions as a museum. Around the building, you would find notable structures like the slaves’ female toilet, and more recent artworks, Think on These Things and Tresholds.

16 Bronze Frogs – A campaign in Blacksburg, Virginia celebrates the town’s history by placing strategically positioned native green frog sculptures throughout downtown and the surrounding area. Each frog is named after a significant figure or feature from Blacksburg’s past, including the original 16 Squares, the first landowner, the Eastern Continental Divide, and the founder of the college that later became Virginia Tech. This initiative aims to raise awareness about freshwater streams, springs, and the health of Stroubles Creek and downstream communities.