Charlottesville, VA

Thomas Jefferson's university opened in 1825 and remains a mirror of his vision that an "academical village" should be a place where the university's academic mission is mirrored in its physical plan.

It took UVa more than a century to grow beyond the original Central Grounds, with the greatest expansion after World War II. The student population doubled and new open spaces and buildings drifted away from Jefferson's concept. In the 1970's and 1980's, the University's research and teaching programs moved to the top of national rankings, but the campus lacked a cohesive presence.

In 1995, ASG was selected to work with the Office of the Architect for the University to develop an overall campus plan. It was clear that the design team needed to refer to the original principles that guided the Central Grounds and apply them to the newer campus precincts, based in the academic mission.

After developing initial concepts along this model, integrated schemes were derived for parking/transit, hydrology/water resources, and overall landscaping. These studies were overlaid to create the Groundswalk, a network of paths, bridges, and streets that re-knit the grounds while defining locations of future buildings.

In this new century, the campus plan appropriately supports the institution whose achievements, and original plan, are recognized around the world.

Completion: 2001
Size: 1,000 acres
In collaboration with: Michael Vergason Landscape Architects