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An existing building on the historic Central Grounds at the
University of Virginia, Rouss Hall was originally designed
by McKim, Mead, and White in 1898. The building housed the
Economic Department. We were asked to
program, master plan and design a new facility. The existing
Rouss Hall contained 21,000 sf of classrooms and faculty
offices that had been poorly maintained and reconfigured.
As designed, the new “campus” for the Economic Department
includes a total of 46,000 sf: 21,000 sf of renovated space
and 25,000 sf in a new building. The renovated building was
brought back to the original McKim, Meade and White plan.
The new addition was tightly fit
into an urban-like site, blending seamlessly with the
original Rouss Hall and surrounding Thomas Jefferson
buildings. The road and pedestrian network was reorganized
for the addition, in the end better rationalizing circulation
around this end of the lawn.
Ultimately our client, the Economic Department, turned over
the building to the School of Commerce who has carried on
the transformation of the building following our design
strategy.
The final design became a self reliant school, including 18
Classrooms, 70 Offices, a Library, Reading Rooms, Study
Areas, and two Lounges, as well as an outdoor gathering
space. This design reflect the overarching theme of the entire
University of Virginia context. |
