VMDO Architects

Hereford College, at the University of Virginia, is a residential college inspired by the paradigm of Jefferson’s Academic Village. Students and faculty live, socialize, and dine together, providing a sense of community and enriching the life of the student at the University. The site is adjacent to a group of dormitories built in 1984 on a mountainous site somewhat removed from the historic center of the University. Because of the topography and the architects’ belief that one can remain contextual without actually copying precedent, the traditional aspects of this project are not derived directly from the “Jeffersonian” architecture, but are a new interpretation of collegiate residential living.

This project was designed in conjunction with the firm Tod Williams + Billie Tsien, of New York City. Hereford College houses 536 students, 3 faculty residents and the family residence of the principal of the College within its five housing units. Classrooms, a library, faculty office, a separate dining faculty, and an amphitheater were built, creating a self-sufficient campus.

Student rooms are linked at the school by a Grounds Wide Information System, creating a high-tech academic village connected by computers. Balancing this state-of-the-art technology, the dormitory provides an environment that, like Jefferson’s, is conducive to interaction between students and faculty, study, and activities involving art, music, lectures, seminars and cultural events. The dining facility serves as a social gathering place for students and faculty.