A Sustainable and Inclusive Future: The New Building at the University of Virginia

The design of a new building at the University of Virginia began in January 2020 with the collaboration of architectural teams from Hopkins Architects, VMDO, and the University’s Office of the Architect. The construction was led by the Gilbane Building Company, and the guiding philosophy was to create a space that would foster collaboration and promote sustainability.

Phil Bourne, founding dean of the School of Data Science, emphasized that the building should reflect the university’s culture of excellence, openness, transparency, interdisciplinarity, and community engagement. This vision was echoed throughout the design process.

The resulting building is LEED Gold-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and features sustainable design elements such as solar panels, vents and windows in individual offices, and active and passive shading systems to reduce the need for artificial lighting. Additionally, it includes a wellness area, a lactation space, and all non-gendered restrooms to make it a diverse and inclusive space for all occupants.

The construction of this building was made possible in part by a historic $120 million gift from Jaffray Woodriff’s private family foundation called Quantitative Foundation. Jaffray Woodriff himself expressed his excitement for what this gift means for the future of data science at UVA. As a champion of data science who graduated from UVA in 1991 himself, he looks forward to seeing how this new building will help support interdisciplinary research into artificial intelligence ethics in years to come.