University of Virginia Alderman Library Renewal
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Project Overview
The 130,000-SF addition and 100,000-SF renovation of the historic Alderman Library (Alderman) includes restoration of the building's exterior and interior spaces; providing new, state-of-the-art systems; and bringing the building to current standards of safety, accessibility and service. Construction is technically complex with the addition set 20-feet deeper than the existing library. Additionally, difficult structural interventions were required in the historic building. The University built Alderman with its entry on the fourth floor in order to align it in scale and orientation with the Academical Village. The addition provides a new, welcoming entrance that faces University Avenue and features a terrace and doors leading into a spacious, second floor lobby. The renewal project provides an indoor connection to the adjacent Clemons Library and space for a future café. Opening in Winter 2023, Alderman will be a contemporary facility with modern amenities suited to the needs of its users.
Meet the Team
Skanska’s local office has been around since 1918, and we've provided construction management at risk services to public and private clients across Virginia and North Carolina with a focus on higher education, healthcare and public work. Skanska is one of the world’s leading construction and development companies. Skanska’s core operations in the U.S. include building construction, civil infrastructure and developing self-financed commercial properties. In 2020, construction in the U.S. generated $6.5 billion in revenue. With U.S. headquarters in New York City, Skanska has 29 offices with 7,600 employees nationwide.
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Dirt Room and Shear Wall
McGregor Room Restoration
Memorial Hall
Windows to the Next 90 Years
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Dirt Room and Shearwall
Building for the Future
Drawing from the Past
Drawing from the past, building for the future
Founded in 1961, HBRA Architects, is a Chicago based, architecture firm recognized for design excellence nationwide. Completed projects include cultural, academic, religious, commercial and residential buildings, as well as master plans and historic building renovations. HBRA’s work demonstrates a shared belief that collaborative engagement between client and architect produces the finest buildings.
The University of Virginia is an iconic public institution of higher education, boasting nationally ranked schools and programs, diverse and distinguished faculty, a major academic medical center and proud history as a renowned research university.
Construction Sequence
Interior and exterior restoration of the historic 1937 Alderman Library (grey portion), abatement and demolition of the yellow portion.
Demolition of the 1937 “Old Stacks” and the 1968 “New Stacks” addition (yellow portion).
1937 Historic Alderman Library to remain during construction.
New addition to be constructed (red portion).
Skanska’s local office has been around since 1918, and we've provided construction management at risk services to public and private clients across Virginia and North Carolina with a focus on higher education, healthcare and public work.
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Founded in 1961, HBRA Architects, is a Chicago based, architecture firm recognized for design excellence nationwide. Completed projects include cultural, academic, religious, commercial, and residential buildings, as well as master plans and historic building renovations. HBRA’s work demonstrates a shared belief that collaborative engagement between client and architect produces the finest buildings.
The University of Virginia is an iconic public institution of higher education, boasting nationally ranked schools and programs, diverse and distinguished faculty, a major academic medical center and proud history as a renowned research university. The community and culture of the University are enriched by active student self-governance, sustained commitment to the arts and a robust NCAA Division I Athletics program. Facilities Management and the Office of the Architect share a stewardship role over the University’s built environment, and together set the standard for excellence in project delivery.
Project Tour Stops
Sectional view provided by HBRA Architects
Dirt Room and Shear Wall, Go
University of Virginia Alderman Library Project Tour
Click a spot on the map to visit the different stops.
Memorial Hall, Go
McGregor Room, Go
Windows to the Next 90 Years, Go
Click the arrows to learn about the construction sequence.
Rendering provided by HBRA Architects
Dirt Room
McGregor Room
The Next 90 Years
The “Dirt Room”—the aptly named unfinished sub-basement space—provides access to the bare dirt foundations beneath Alderman Library. This area was the source of a tremendous logistics challenge for the first year of the project. The space had limited, almost non-existent, access and required abatement of 90CY of contaminated soils. Additionally, it contained a major structural upgrade to strengthen the historic building. Though not visible from the surrounding streets, for a year construction forces worked diligently under the existing building to abate asbestos, integrate the five-story reinforced concrete shear wall into the existing structure, and develop infrastructure for the new addition. Construction of the shear wall was a significant undertaking in of itself. The original library was built into an existing ravine, which created a sloped dirt wall underneath the building. The 1930’s foundation was set into this hillside and required the project team cut open a Level 2 slab to access the lower level and complete the scope of work.
Photo by Sanjay Suchak, University of Virginia Communications
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Historical Site Photos from the 1930s
Dirt Room Exhibit and Progress
You Are Here
Equipment dropped into the Dirt Room from the level above to excavate foundations for the shear wall.
Excavating three feet behind the existing concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall to access the center of the historic Alderman Library, as required, to place the shear wall that reinforces the historic masonry building.
Reverse view from the Dirt Room up to the Conservation Lab. This was the view during construction of the shear wall before the area was backfilled and the Conservation Lab slab replaced.
Click the circles to see progress photos from the Dirt Room.
Located in the historic East Wing of the Alderman Library, the McGregor Room was one of the first Library restorations in the facility, and was possible through a private donation made during the building’s construction. The room was transformed with wood paneling, ornate brass hardware and lavish furniture almost before Alderman Library opened in 1937. This room, now dubbed the “Harry Potter Room” by University students, will soon reflect its’ original historic and magical characteristics. Work has included removing portions of the millwork to perform seismic upgrades. These portions will be restored offsite, while the remaining millwork will be restored in place.
McGregor Room Through the Years
Photo by University of Virginia
Asian Studies Room in 1959
Asian Studies Room in 2018
McGregor Room in 1930
Images from Basis of Design Report by HBRA Architects with Clark Nexsen
The photo shows the McGregor Room during restoration. This was taken at an interim stage in construction, after abatement and before the seismic drag struts were introduced. The millwork and fireplace shown on the west side of the room were ultimately removed for offsite restoration. Before the completion of the project, the millwork and shelving will be reinstalled in their original configuration.
McGregor Room Millwork
Memorial Hall has been the public entrance to Alderman Library since the building opened in the 1930s. Over the years, the space has evolved from the main book retrieval, to an information kiosk and a coffee shop with small informal seating areas. Our restoration work will bring back the original character of Memorial Hall, including the black and white checkered floor. It will also improve the comfort level of the space with new mechanical systems and better accessibility with expanded entrances on the South façade. The portions of the new mechanical systems are compactly positioned in the building’s shallow attic. All mechanical, electrical, data and communication systems will be upgraded throughout the building. As a matter of fact, the addition of a modern fire sprinkler system was one of the major program requirements of the project. The original construction lacked suitable space to install sprinkler piping. Once completed, this space will be safer, comfortable and welcoming.
Memorial Hall in Progress
Current view of Memorial Hall in progress.
A modern mechanical system will be installed in the attic of Memorial Hall, providing a more comfortable thermal atmosphere. The equipment placement was coordinated and modelled with 3D clash detection software to identify where every component was to be placed, ensuring proper fit and serviceable maintenance access in the future.
Mechanical System
The new addition to Alderman Library will be built on roughly the same footprint as the demolished 1938 and 1967 stacks and will hold collections and study areas. The project scope includes all new MEP and life safety systems. An architectural highlight will be new enclosed courtyards. Originally, these open-air spaces only served to allow light into the library and weren’t accessible to the public. The new Library program includes reinforcements to the structure that allow two new framed skylights to be supported above the two-story atrium reading rooms. A tremendous effort was invested in protecting, bracing and monitoring any movement in the courtyard walls. The walls were salvaged and protected from the original construction and had to be supported by temporary measures until the new structure could be placed for permanent support.
Looking to the Future, Remembering the Past
Archaeological Investigations
Due to the historic nature of the area around Alderman Library, the University initiated archaeological investigations to assess the potential impact of the project on buried cultural resources. During preconstruction, the area north of and adjacent to the 1967 Alderman Library addition underwent shovel testing due to the potential of that area containing evidence of the Chateau Front and Back residential complex. The Chateau Front and Back, was the residence constructed in 1859 for William Pratt, the first University superintendent of buildings and grounds. Several areas around the project site were subject to archaeological monitoring during construction to document soil development and unidentified cultural deposits and features.
Image credit: Rivanna Archaeological Services, LLC
1937 photo of Alderman Library construction site, looking north-northeast towards Chateau Front and Back.
Due to the extreme depth of the new building, the number of surrounding utilities on site and along adjacent roadways at University Drive and McCormick Road, our team used modelling techniques to identify x, y and z coordinates for all existing conditions. We placed each shoring tieback, every utility pipe and every foundation in a model and then used clash detection software to ensure every team member was aware of the location and proximity of all existing and future objects. The process worked seamlessly. Unfortunately, the more the team engaged in the progress of the work, the more apparent it became that there was a very significant rock outcropping beneath the building. The team shifted into an adapt and overcome mindset and, eight months later, construction resumed its original course with nearly 6,000CY of rock removed and new foundations finally placed.
Shoring of Excavation (SOE) and Tie Backs
The new basement is 20 feet deeper than the historic building, requiring underpinning, and shoring of the excavation area. While demolition was still ongoing, construction crews began drilling and placing ‘H’ plies, 5’ outside the footprint of the new building. Later, as excavation began the 20’ descent to the new foundations, lagging was placed between the ‘H’ piles to shore and hold back the surrounding dirt. Underpinning work commenced by digging narrow support pits in 25 percent increments under each existing foundation. These pits were then sequenced in a very specific order to avoid exposing too many foundation elements to possible movement. Ultimately, the support pits were filled with concrete and received drilled and grouted anchors to provide structural support for the historic building.
Excavation and Underpinning
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Project Contacts
Kit Meyer Senior Project Manager, P&CMS Facilities Management ksm2g@virginia.edu 434.982.5748
Chris Rhodes Senior Project Manager chris.rhodes@skanska.com 615.337.4823
Michele Silvetti-Schmitt Architect Principal, AIA LEED AP BD+C MSilvetti-Schmitt@HBRA-ARCH.com 312.527.3200
Skanska SCUP Mid-Atlantic Region Contacts
Pennsylvania Ronda Bailey Vice President - Business Development 215.779.5539 Ronda.Bailey@skanska.com New York/New Jersey Metro Sara Francini Vice President - Business Development 917.438.4535 Sara.Francini@skanska.com
North Carolina/Virginia Bob Myer Senior Vice President - Business Development 919.941.7936 Bob.Myer@skanska.com Washington, DC Rose Torres Senior Director of Business Development 301.795.3170 Rose.Torres@skanska.com
