Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Virginia Partners with BenchPro on Studio Space

  • 09/27/22

The University of Virginia School of Architecture (UVA) is providing students with a new and improved design education environment which includes a 24,000 square foot renovation project as well as model making spaces.

Campbell Hall offers two full floors of studio space and fabrication spaces. Model making facilities are available throughout the building as well as renovated classrooms. This inspiring environment is where future architects and designers experiment and create with the use of specialized equipment.

Anselmo Canfora, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Academics at UVA, enlisted BenchPro’s help with the manufacturing of workstations. The company, Canfora and Iñaki Alday (Chair of the Architecture Department at the time) worked together to design and equip a series of highly purposeful studio spaces that would support architectural design education.

“Campbell Hall is a significant example of modern architecture on this historic campus. Built in 1970, it has served the School of Architecture very well,” explains Canfora. “Following an aggressive schedule, the redesign of the design studios and supporting spaces focused on improving the working environments of the A-School to promote well-being, creativity, and collaboration.”

The UVA project was completed the winter of 2019 through a university-wide effort that involved a variety of groups. It now provides a series of exceptional learning environments for students, staff, and faculty of the School of Architecture to work together.  The state-of-the-art facilities support 21st century architectural education and research, supporting students while they flourish through thoughtful experimentation.

“It was an honor to manufacture the 450 lab benches for the University of Virginia School of Architecture, in collaboration with Anselmo Canfora and the university,” says Xano Wang, co-owner of BenchPro. “We are proud to help bring new life to this space – we know how the look and function of a lab can power the creative process.”

Featured

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Universities Continue to Launch Multimillion-Dollar Campus Transformations

    What makes the current wave of campus development especially noteworthy is its emphasis on multi-use functionality and community integration. Institutions are no longer investing solely in academic or athletic facilities in isolation. Instead, they are creating destinations that blend recreation, health, housing, and event-driven economic activity.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.