Sustainability Meets Innovation: The Construction of UVA’s School of Data Science Building

The construction of the School of Data Science building began in January 2020 with the collaboration of architectural teams from Hopkins Architects, VMDO, and the University’s Office of the Architect. Led by the Gilbane Building Company, the design aimed to promote sustainability and foster collaboration among researchers.

Phil Bourne, founding dean of the School of Data Science, described the new facility as a recognizable and beautiful home at UVA that embodies the university’s culture of excellence, openness, transparency, interdisciplinarity, and community engagement. As a LEED Gold-certified building, it features solar panels, vents, and windows in individual offices, as well as active and passive shading systems to limit the need for artificial lighting.

The building also includes a wellness area, a lactation space, and all non-gendered restrooms. This makes it unique among buildings on Grounds and highlights UVA’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. The construction was made possible with a portion of a $120 million gift from Jaffray Woodriff’s private family foundation – an alumnus of UVA who is passionate about data science’s potential role in shaping the future world.