Disciplines from across the University of Virginia will meet at the new Contemplative Commons, with construction set to be complete this spring.
UVA broke ground for the building, located adjacent to the Dell on Emmet Street, in 2021. Now, the pan-University, multipurpose complex is set to welcome students in the fall semester. The building will house and expand upon work being done at UVA’s Contemplative Sciences Center.
The facility’s purpose is to enable “student flourishing” through a host of indoor-outdoor spaces, academic classrooms, immersive learning spaces and event spaces, and will include art installations and flexible studios that can be configured as classrooms, research labs or even yoga studios.
“This facility is really quite unique,” Architect for the University Alice Raucher said. “While first and foremost it is an academic building, it will also provide spaces for contemplation and mindfulness classes and events.”