The Lawn at The University of Virginia //

Year 2 // Professor George Dodds.

Prompt // Memorialize the forgotten history of slave culture at the university.

Site // The Lawn.

MEMORY

The weight of slave culture at the University of Virginia is brought to light through a theoretical demolition of Cabell Hall. This act reveals what the enslaved people who built the original university referred to as "Canada," meaning "hill" in English. Through excavation, settlements and burial sites emerge, uncovering layers of forgotten history.

By studying architectural precedents that restore ruins, themes of ‘completion’ inform the design process. My focus is on reimagining how these settlements would have been experienced, employing modern construction techniques to honor their presence.

Moreover, the university’s original design intentionally framed the rolling hills of Virginia’s landscape. Drawing from this, I have created a theatrical landscape experience—offering students an elevated perspective of "Canada," mirroring the view enslaved individuals once saw from the hill where they lived.