University
of Virginia
“As an early data science champion, I’ve been thrilled to see my alma mater create a school and now a home for the study of data science. I am eager to cheer on the University of Virginia’s contributions to the safe and ethical navigation of the murky waters ahead in artificial intelligence.”
Jaffray Woodriff Donor of $120m Gift University of Virginia
McIntire School of Commerce Class of 1991 Co-Founder & CEO of Quantitative Investment Management
The Capital One Hub + Data Wall
Mission
The new School of Data Science, established in 2019, is the University of Virginia’s twelfth school, and the first building to be constructed as part of a phased masterplan for a new campus precinct. Located on the most prominent corner of the site, the project will be emblematic of both the School’s and the University’s ambitions, linking its historic grounds, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to an exciting new chapter in UVA’s development. The new School of Data Science—the first of its kind in the nation—is guided by common goals: to further discovery, share knowledge, and make a positive impact on society through collaborative, open, and responsible data science research and education. The building’s architecture, planned and constructed during a period of exponential growth of the school, became a critical part of defining and sharing the community’s identity.
At the forefront of the transdisciplinary field of data science, the first academic installment on the Emmet-Ivy Corridor, this groundbreaking center is set to help define the future of the University’s development.
NORTH GROUNDS + ATHLETICS PRECINCT
New School of Data Science
IVYCORRIDOR
ARTS GROUNDS
CENTRAL GROUNDS
THE ROTUNDA
A Bridge Across Grounds
“It is an awesome responsibility to steward a UNESCO World Heritage campus so that generations of students will be able to use the grounds as they were originally intended, while at the same time, supporting UVA’s academic mission by expanding grounds in a manner that retains a commitment of excellence to our architectural legacy. The development of the new Emmet/Ivy district will provide much needed connectivity between Central and North G rounds, knitting disparate properties into a cohesive design that feels a part of UVA. An initial cornerstone of the new Emmet/Ivy District, the new School of Data Science is of particular significance and success.”
Alice J. Raucher FAIA, AUA, LEED AP Associate Vice President and Architect for the University University of Virginia
“This building and the program are a realization of the tenets of the development principles for the Discovery Nexus and will uphold the promise for the vitality of the new Emmet/Ivy District. The integrated landscape, with the storm water pond, amphitheater, and promenade providing civic connectivity, while the building provides a new model for active teaching, putting data science on display. Living up to its aspirational mission, this “School Without Walls” is building community by enabling collaboration and innovation in a stateof-the-art academic facility.”
Alice J. Raucher FAIA, AUA, LEED AP Associate Vice President and Architect for the University University of Virginia
Programming a “School without Walls”
What is Data Science?
Data science is an interdisciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract knowledge and insights from data. The amount of data in the world is more than doubling every two years, and data scientists analyze and interpret data to help make informed decisions across a range of disciplines. Data science is at the intersection of computer science, statistics, mathematics, information science and specialized fields of knowledge or study, such as medicine, politics and music. Conducting data science transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries to discover new insights, often by combining disparate data sets that would not likely be brought together otherwise.
UVA’s School of Data Science is “committed to teaching and practicing responsible data science for the common good.” The moniker “School Without Walls” reminds us of the institution’s focus on who they include in their community, and who stands to benefit from the activities of the school. While the school is a standalone, degree-awarding entity within the university, their goal is to collaborate closely with all other disciplines, amplifying the work of other schools. Importantly, their growth plan envisions every UVA student being able to take at least one course in Data Science. Their new home needed to simultaneously solidify the school’s unique identity and create a homebase for SDS programs, while creating a space that would welcome and encourage the growth of an expansive community.
The design approach for the new School of Data Science supports the mission of the school by providing high levels of visual and physical connectivity between students, academics, visitors and industry partners. The Hub, a double-height gathering space will host large lectures or presentations and provide an informal space for eating, socializing, or working. Facing out over a landscaped pond back to central Grounds, it promotes the open and connected message of the school and encourages engagement with the wider community. The Corporate Commons provides space for the school’s corporate partners to work with students and faculty, supporting closer collaborative links between academia and industry.
“Data Science has a spectacular new home. The building before you is much more than just a new physical structure… It was designed to be a testament of everything we believe in: openness, transparency and innovation, among other things.”
- Phil Bourne Founding Dean, School of Data Science University of Virginia
A Living Laboratory
The building functions as a living lab for the school, measuring and collecting performance and use data in a form that is accessible to the school, allowing for research and eventually valuable feedback for how the building is operated.
Data on Display
The School has several dynamic installations that immerse visitors in the on-going work happening throughout the building. A key feature is the multistory, central data sculpture which hangs below a skylight and can be viewed from every floor and every angle of the central staircase. Designed by SoSo Limited, “Data Structure” aims to transform the atrium into a place where data is not just analyzed, but also “felt and experienced.”
The piece is designed as a column of 20 lanterns, with data flowing vertically through LED lights up the length of the approximately 40-foot-tall sculpture. The form mirrors that of the exposed structure of the building, animating it with data drawn from the community, and transmitting it throughout the building in a shared experience. Visitors can choose a data set from an interactive screen located on the building’s first floor. The initial data sets cover a range of issues, including the spread of COVID-19, the rise in global temperatures, and national gun violence incidents.
“The
building is designed to embody what experts at
UVA believe
data science is. We have this impressive open atrium with exposed steel and a unifying stair along with an interactive data sculpture. The growth of the School of Data Science shows how much the University believes data science will change the world.”
- Arlyn Burgess
of
Chief
Staff School of Data Science University of Virginia
Open Hardware Lab
Lecture-style classroom with moveable furniture and raised access flooring
Integrated Teaching & Research
The four-story, 61,000 square-foot facility provides accommodation for teaching, research, administration and special events. The School needed a variety of teaching spaces that allowed for flexibility of layout, teaching format, and technology use that would facilitate the development of pedagogical styles over time as the school grows. Each large classroom has moveable furniture, raised access flooring, generous whiteboard and projection screens, and, most importantly, broad windows for maximum daylight, with robust solar control. Classrooms include four large “active learning” classrooms, two small seminar rooms and collaborative meeting and amenity space. Accommodation is integrated between floors and organized around a bright and open central stair, providing a visual and physical connection, and facilitating the crossfertilization of ideas.
Prioritizing Well-Being
Emphasis
Sustainable Design
The mechanical systems were designed to be highly efficient, maximizing useable floor space and surpassing the university’s energy performance goals. Initially designed to be PV-ready, the building featured a fully installed array on opening day. A highlight of the project are the operable windows throughout the working environment, providing fresh air and increased individual thermal control to occupants.
