
The South Lawn Project, the most ambitious undertaking
on the University of Virginia’s Central Grounds in a
century, is designed to accommodate the contemporary
program requirements of the College and Graduate School
of Arts & Sciences while paying respect to the
Jeffersonian architecture in the nearby Academic
Village. It will see 12,000 student visits every day. It
features a 95-foot-wide terrace across Jefferson Park
Avenue that connects the South Lawn Project with the
Central Grounds. At the south end of the terrace is a
circular plaza that sits atop a
Commons Building, with an exterior stair leading to the
garden areas below. An extensive landscape design
creates a park-like feel while educating students about
storm water management. The Foster Site is also
celebrated in the landscape, giving recognition to the
home of Kitty Foster, a free black who
provided laundry services for the University in the
mid 1800’s.
The South Lawn is a 4-5 story building of 114,000 gsf.
The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2010.