Faculty Office Building

The Faculty Office Building is where much of Darden’s academic life actually happens: office hours after class, a quick hallway question that becomes a thesis idea, a case draft marked up at the end of a long day. The renovation keeps the building’s familiar character while updating the way it works — with brighter common areas, better flow between floors and more spaces designed for faculty and students to meet, linger and talk.

The Winter Garden is the project’s new center of gravity: an enclosed courtyard turned into a light-filled, two-story commons. It is designed for the daily, unscripted moments that shape a school’s culture — a conversation before class, a student seeking advice, colleagues comparing notes between meetings — with flexible seating and open sightlines that make the building feel more connected.

The faculty pavilions create small office neighborhoods with outdoor porches — places for focused work, mentoring and the kind of conversation that does not always fit into a scheduled meeting. They bring natural light and fresh air into the rhythm of the day and offer another setting for faculty and students to connect outside the classroom.

The northwest entry and lounge will serve as a clear front door and gathering point — a place where people naturally arrive, wait, cross paths and start talking. The open stair and nearby seating make movement between floors feel easier and more visible, turning what used to be circulation space into a lived-in part of the building.

The southeast entry and patio create a second front door — one that opens the building to the landscape and invites people to step outside between classes, meetings and office hours. It is a simple idea with real impact: a place to pause, talk and reset, and a more welcoming threshold between academic life and the broader Grounds.

The seminar room is built for the work Darden does best: discussion. It is a flexible, technology-supported space for small-group teaching, case conversations and visiting speakers — the kind of room where a good question can take over a class and a student can find their voice.

Conference rooms are where a school makes decisions: faculty collaboration, recruiting conversations, research discussions, program planning and meetings with partners and alumni. These rooms are designed to support that work with updated technology and flexible layouts — practical, high-use spaces that keep the building running.

The open lounge is meant to be used, not admired — a place to sit down with a coffee, compare notes after class or take a meeting that does not need a closed door. It adds breathing room to the building and creates more chances for faculty and students to cross paths during an ordinary day.

Work lounges support the in-between moments: quick group huddles, quiet reading before a meeting, a student waiting for office hours. They are designed as small, flexible spaces distributed through the building — the kind of places that make an academic home feel more open and more lived in.

Faculty offices are where the one-on-one work happens: a student asking for honest feedback, a tough conversation about career direction, a new idea taking shape in a draft. These offices provide private space for teaching and scholarship while keeping faculty close to the shared areas that make the building feel connected.

Located throughout the Faculty Office Building, these Lounges serve as comfortable and inspiring spaces for faculty and students to gather, collaborate, and recharge. Each lounge supports the rhythms of academic life — from spontaneous discussions to quiet study — and reflects Darden’s emphasis on community and engagement. Thoughtfully designed with flexible furnishings and modern amenities, these spaces help foster the vibrant exchange of ideas that defines the Darden experience.

The Staff Offices within the Faculty Office Building provide dedicated workspaces for the professionals who support Darden’s teaching, research and faculty operations. Designed for productivity and collaboration, these offices ensure that the building functions as an efficient, interconnected academic environment. By supporting the people who advance Darden’s mission every day, these spaces reinforce the School’s commitment to excellence and service.