University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
The renovation of a circa-1954, 135,000 SF facility housing classrooms, offices, teaching labs, and fabrication space includes comprehensive infrastructure and accessibility upgrades; increased flexibility for evolving programs; and new “found spaces” transforming previously dark interior spaces into shared student areas. Attics currently used for storage will be converted into office and collaboration space—a re-use that will also provide swing space during the phased renovation.
A collaboration hub will re-open a former two-story space on the first floor. This new heart of the building will provide students and faculty with much-needed gathering/study space for regularly scheduled meetings and impromptu work sessions for students and faculty.
Key priorities for this project are addressing the need for larger instructional labs, creating new spaces for hands-on fabrication, and a lab/learning suite for physics majors. An addition will add a large active-learning (SCALE-UP) classroom with seating for 90. A large instructional equipment storeroom holds the set-ups for demonstrations of key concepts to students in the labs and larger learning spaces.