Ask Axios: Why there's a big, steaming building at VCU

We're back with another installment of our super irregular series, Ask Axios. You ask us anything, and we try to get it answered.

Question: "Why does the VCU engineering West Hall building (next to Monroe Park) always look like it has steam coming out of it? I've driven past it almost every day for five years and have wondered what's going on in there. Is it angry?" asks reader Kwame T.

Answer: "The 'steam' you and others are seeing is the cooling tower (a device that uses water to remove heat from a building). The cooling tower is located under the pyramid on the roof," VCU spokesperson Mike Porter tells Axios.

Worth noting: West Hall isn't the only building on campus that uses a cooling tower. Cabell Library has one, too.

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