The unassuming storefront at 128 Chancellor St. has long belied the Center for Christian Study’s extensive research and scholarship space. And just a few months ago, the square footage behind those doors was expanded even further.
Residential and commercial building firm Alexander Nicholson was tasked with the expansion project—namely, to use every last bit of space available to the Center for Christian Study on the square block between Chancellor and Elliewood. “The first thing that stood out about the project was its location and footprint within that area behind the existing structure,” says Drew Dunnington, project manager. “We didn’t have direct street access. We built the entire addition going through the neighboring back yard.”
The addition’s design, by Train Architects and UVA architect William Sherman, optimized every square foot of the existing property, building to the edge of what was once a parking lot to create a new lecture hall, stacks for the center’s 14,000-volume library, study area and a full, catering-ready kitchen.
From a design perspective, the expansion jutting from the back of the center is slightly more modern than the legacy facility and was envisioned with optimization in mind. “A lot of it was the maximization of space—to increase their ability to hold meetings and host groups and functions,” Dunnington says.
According to Dunnington, the project managers had to navigate not only the tight urban quarters just steps from the UVA Rotunda, but also a hillside construction area. The new building features a partially above-grade parking deck situated beneath the structure and vast use of glass throughout to increase natural lighting and ease with the tradition from the old indoor areas to the new.
The modern library expansion is situated on the fourth and final floor of the addition. “They put in probably 12 or so new stacks so they can expand their literature base,” Dunnington says.
The building addition features an elevator from the basement to the top floor and a mechanical and electrical package designed to bridge the gap between the aging structure’s technology and modern tech. The addition’s lighting responds directly to natural illumination, brightening and dimming depending on time of day and weather conditions.
One of the unique environmental aspects of the project, Dunnington says, is the way the new design handles stormwater runoff, a challenge for any large building. A stormwater retention tank situated underneath the new structure collects rainwater and releases it slowly into the ground.
Alexander Nicholson and its partners completed the Center for Christian Study project in five phases over roughly 20 months beginning in September of 2022. The client never vacated the building, despite an additional renovation of the residential structures situated on the Center’s lower level.
According to Dunnington, the project was one that fit perfectly into Alexander Nicholson’s niche as both a residential and commercial builder.
“There’s an area within the construction world where we like to say we position ourselves,” Dunnington says. “You still get all of the operational aspects of a commercial project, but with the feel of a residence. From a sentimental perspective, they were excited when we set that last piece of steel. They all signed it with a Sharpie.”
