Perry Place at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

The brand design for Perry Place at Virginia Tech comes from the origins of the word “Perry,” derived from the Anglo-Saxon word that means both pear tree and traveler. It honors the founding of Virginia Tech, and the history of its first student hiking 28 miles on foot just to enroll. The pear tree is also significant as a symbol of comfort and nourishment. With that in mind, a modern pear tree motif was illustrated for the logo mark. The primary logo features the organic lines of the tree within a shield to evoke a feeling of safety and comfort, while still harking back to the legacy destination. The badge design showcases the entire pear tree in a beautiful, symmetrical design with intertwined branches representing a “coming together” to share a meal.

These brand elements are paired with a bold typeface - a modern interpretation of the traditional branding style of higher education institutions. This makes for a seamless incorporation into the greater Virginia Tech family of brands, while still maintaining a unique look and feel. The color palette represents a sense of calm that comes from nourishment, with its muted blue gray and pear green accent colors.

Perry Place is a 600-seat full-service multivenue dining facility on two floors of the Hitt Hall’s west wing. Hitt Hall also features flexible general assignment classrooms on the third floor, and open collaboration zones throughout. The dining capacity added by Perry Place, with its nine distinct dining venues, will increase and more evenly distribute dining services for students, faculty, and staff on the Blacksburg campus. The building, designed by Cooper Carry, will provide an expanded physical presence for the Myers-Lawson School of Construction - a joint collaboration between the College of Architecture and Urban Studies and the College of Engineering - as well as a unique two-story Innovation Lab providing program opportunities for temporary and large-scale student-based projects.