DPR Celebrates Completion of University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce Expansion

Located in the heart of the University of Virginia’s (UVA) academic Grounds, DPR Construction, along with representatives and stakeholders from the University of Virginia, celebrated the completion of the McIntire School of Commerce’s newly expanded complex. The project is a high-end academic space providing students and educators with versatile spaces for learning, collaboration and idea sharing. DPR led the construction for the renovation of the 23,000-sq.-ft., four-story wing of the 1917 Cobb Hall as well as a new five-story, 86,200-sq.-ft. facility, Shumway Hall—delivering state-of-the-art learning spaces that unite tradition and innovation.

A signature project for UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce, the expansion aimed to revitalize a historic structure while seamlessly introducing sleek, modern, and innovative elements into a high-profile new building on Grounds—making the endeavor complex from the outset in both design and construction.

The project’s logistics, including limited laydown space, deep excavation on a sloping site, and the need to protect a historic structure, required a carefully phased construction approach. In an atypical sequence, exterior renovations on Cobb Hall had to be completed before mass excavation could begin for the new Shumway Hall. With only six feet separating the two buildings, there was no room to erect scaffolding for Cobb Hall once excavation was underway. By completing the exterior restoration first, the team managed the site’s constraints while maintaining project momentum.

Collaboration and coordination with the architects, Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Glavé & Holmes Architecture, as well as UVA representatives was crucial to protecting historic Cobb Hall.

Laser scanning proved to be vital to the restoration process. Following the demolition of an existing 1970s addition to Cobb Hall, DPR scanned the space to compare the existing structural conditions with the design intent. Small differences in column locations, which required ADA restrooms to be reconfigured to meet code requirements, were promptly adjusted.

In addition, the original construction of Cobb Hall’s decking utilized hollow terracotta tiles as formwork—unlike the metal decking commonly used today—which was used to create an early concrete waffle slab system. The scans revealed that in certain areas, the terracotta tiles had sagged, reducing the above-ceiling clearance on the floor below by as much as eight inches. To keep the ceilings as high as possible, the virtual design and construction team worked with the design team to redesign the structural, mechanical, and technology infrastructure in certain areas without impacting the overall aesthetics.

The project was designed to restore historic elements and accommodate modern technology for today’s evolving student needs. Recording rooms and media labs with green screens were designed to support student projects as well as remote and hybrid learning, allowing faculty to record lectures and conduct virtual classes in historic Cobb Hall.

Shumway Hall exemplifies the fusion of modern innovation with connection to the historic through its custom finishes and advanced building technologies with classrooms built around advanced AV systems, robust Wi-Fi, and adaptable lighting controls tailored to diverse teaching styles—while movable blackboards offer a nostalgic nod to traditional lecture halls.

Shumway Hall’s student-centric design also features innovation labs, lounges, event spaces, and a student success center, all aimed at encouraging cross-disciplinary circulation and collaboration across the Commerce School.

DPR’s collaboration with the University of Virginia was a deeply rewarding endeavor. The McIntire School of Commerce’s historic Cobb Hall and new Shumway Hall complex preserves the past while supporting students, faculty and staff with spaces that foster collaboration serving UVA for the future. Beginning in fall of 2025, the first classes of School of Commerce undergraduate and graduate students will begin to call the complex home.