JUNE 23, 2023- UVA MAGAZINE
“Along Emmet Street and overlooking the Dell, the Contemplative Commons building, with an estimated budget of $72.6 million, will house the Contemplative Sciences Center. The center’s mission is to “advance the study and application of human flourishing” at every level of education—from kindergarten to adult learning. The 57,000-square-foot building is scheduled to open in fall 2023 and is intended for myriad uses. Spaces are designed to be easily configured for everything from a class to dance performances and other extracurricular activities.
The building’s largest room will sit just off its courtyard and includes tall glass doors that fold away, allowing for indoor-outdoor events that look out on the Dell.
“We’ve designed it so that it’s incredibly flexible,” Raucher said. “There’s a lot of furniture storage and other storage so that the rooms can be used for a variety of different setups—from seminars to banquets to yoga retreats.”
The U-shaped building incorporates views of the Dell and its pond, and the project also includes a new pedestrian bridge over Emmet Street that connects it with Central Grounds. “That building is really a nexus for Grounds because it has an accessible bridge,” Raucher said.”
Check out more on our project page.
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