The University of Virginia (UVA) is a world-class institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Attracting students from across the globe, the university elected to create a new 14-acre district at the intersection of the its historic Academic Village and the UVA Health System. That expansion is known as the Brandon Avenue District. Led by architecture firm Perkins + Will, the Brandon Avenue District master plan identified 445,000 gross square feet of academic, mixed-use, and housing development. We assisted with the master plan to identify utility infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate this potential growth.

Design Alternatives

We were responsible for developing the design of a full utility infrastructure backbone, including a new low temperature hot water hub. The project included the design and construction of domestic water, chilled water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, electrical distribution, and communications. We presented our client with two options for the main trunk lines. The first option, known as the East Concept, would have allowed for fewer linear feet (LF) of utility piping and trenches, less grading work for the installation, and more flexibility for the installation of future building lateral locations. The second option and the one that was selected, known as the West Concept, allows for the main trunk line to be located outside of the existing water/gas and power utilities. Additionally, this option allows for the majority of the work to be performed outside of the existing Brandon Avenue right-of-way, and the potential for the majority of the main trunk line to be completed prior to the acquisition of Brandon Avenue—a step that would eventually be required. We also offered alternative routes for domestic water, chilled water, and electrical to cross connect the Brandon Avenue District to the UVA Health System.

The low temperature hot water hub is located inside an existing mechanical room in the South Lawn building. This hub was designed to serve the anticipated redevelopment along Brandon Avenue with 160 F low temperature hot water supply and operate with a 40 F temperature differential. Due to our dedicated design effort and space management, the existing mechanical room in South Lawn did not need to be enlarged to accommodate the proposed improvements, which accrued significant savings for the client and minimized disruption to existing operations.

Due to our dedicated design effort and space management, the existing mechanical room in South Lawn did not need to be enlarged to accommodate the proposed improvements, which accrued significant savings for the client and minimized disruption to existing operations.” Maria Minnick

Stormwater Solutions

In addition to the utility infrastructure improvements, meeting the stormwater needs was equally as important. We developed a comprehensive stormwater solution to meet the stormwater needs of the district’s future development and complement the university’s unique aesthetic vision. This was achieved by developing a new bioretention median. The median is divided into four independent bioretention facilities that appear as a uniform system to pedestrians and is fed by an integrated storm sewer network designed to disperse water evenly among the four facilities.

Preparing infrastructure to support the anticipated growth in this area is an important step in supporting UVA in its efforts to develop responsible citizen leaders and professionals; advance, preserve, and disseminate knowledge; and provide world-class patient care.