The University of Virginia’s Ivy Corridor serves as a prominent campus connection and designated entrance corridor for the City of Charlottesville. The formerly underutilized site is a key connector between the University’s north and central grounds, and the newly opened School of Data Science building marks a major milestone in the development of the Corridor.
The four-story, 60,000-square-foot School of Data Science includes adaptive classrooms, offices, and meeting and research areas, as well as an accessible terrace with a green roof to reduce stormwater runoff and provide additional insulation through vegetation. As part of an architectural team, VHB provided civil engineering and transportation services, and designed a stormwater network to support a large, open water feature that will increase detention capacity for stormwater and relieve flooding that often occurs during major storm events. As an educational focal point for students and faculty, the centrally located stream and water feature creates a destination, promotes new ecosystems, and improves stormwater management impacts.
For the past eight years, VHB has been a trusted advisor to UVA on the development of Ivy Corridor, helping elevate the campus through sophisticated design and planning, sustainable solutions, and successful partnerships. In addition to the School of Data Science, a new hotel, conference center, and other buildings are planned, and a large focus will be placed on streetscape enhancements along Ivy Road that include wider sidewalks, new plantings, safety improvements, new bike lanes, and bus stops.
