February 26, 2004

By Matt Kelly

There’s a new way to find out where you need to go.

The new University map, updated from its 1990s incarnation with a fold-out paper copy and a more in-depth version on the Web, is now available.

The new map, a product of the development office, the Web communications office and Facilities Management, has been updated to show new buildings, such as the Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History, Literature and Culture and the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, as well as the buildings-in-progress, such as the John Paul Jones arena, and proposed buildings like the performing arts center. Other locations, such as the Fontaine Research Park and the Birdwood Golf Course, have been added, too.

“Because the landscape and Grounds change so fast, we worked with Facilities Management to create a digital base-map version. That way it will be easier to update next time,” said Emma C. Edmunds, senior writer and project manager in the development communications office, who coordinated the design and layout of the fold-out map. Christopher C. Cullinan, who also works in the development communications office, designed the fold-out map.

The current map is based on the original one drawn in 1975 by John Ruseau, then architecture faculty member and now professional artist.

The Web version has two iterations— one with a continuous view of the Grounds, with zoom and moving capabilities and a version divided into 12 precincts. Viewers can select a precinct and click on the image of a building for a photograph of the structure. For buildings still under development, there is an artist’s rendering and a description of the property. The Web map also has an A-to-Z index of buildings, as well as indices for the Health System, parking garages and residential buildings.

Both the electronic and paper versions of the new map emphasize the “visitor’s experience,” Edmunds said. Building histories appear on the Web version, and a walking tour of Central Grounds on the printed copy.

The map, which will probably not be revised again for another two years, will be useful for new and prospective students, parents, visitors, current staff and faculty.
The online map will also help patients find Medical Center buildings, said Nancy A. Tramontin, director of University Web communications.

“What we are hoping is that even as people make appointments, they refer to the Web site,” Tramontin said. “The building descriptions and photos will be useful to the community.”

Nicholas Bartley, a graphic-information-systems mapping technician with Facilities Management, created the digital-base map working from aerial photographs of the Grounds. Bartley took pictures of buildings so he could add realistic, three-dimensional effects to the map, such as brick walls and yellow-colored roofs.

“I was excited at first,” he said of his reaction when he was asked to build the map. “It was a chance to do what I had never done before. But it was daunting, too. I was glad when it was finally done, because there were so many revisions and meetings, but it is nice to have my name on it.”

Bartley, who spent about 600 hours on the map, taking about three days per building, said he likes to create and be artistic.

“I like to put my touch on each map,” Bartley said. “With this one, it’s the green background, the color scheme and the statues. Jefferson and Homer are in the map, and there are flag poles next to Jefferson.”

The Homer statue, a mere speck on both the printed and online versions of the map, is included in the online photograph of Cocke Hall.

“There were some things that could not be done on the paper map that we could do on the Web map,” Tramontin said. “Many buildings on the Web map are cross-referenced. The University Press, on the paper map, is under Bemiss House, because they decided to go with building names, and I could have it under Bemiss House as well as under university press [on the Web version]. In addition, we put a dozen virtual reality tours on the online map, so the viewer can get a 180-degreee view of the Lawn or the Medical Center or the School of Law.”

There are about 200 University buildings featured in the map.

“We did every building from the Rotunda to the recycling center,” said Tramontin. “We have provided some fascinating histories of these buildings that we drive by every day: who they were named for, the years they were built, who the architects were. I’ve been here more than 20 years, and I never knew much of this information.”

How to get print maps

University offices and departments may purchase maps from ChemStores by entering an internal requisition into the Integrated System for item #51197. The cost is $20 per packet of 50 maps. For assistance processing the internal requisition, contact the ISDS Help Desk at 243-7550. Those outside the University may purchase maps by calling the University of Virginia Bookstore at 924-3721. The map is distributed to individual visitors at no charge at U.Va.’s Information Center on U.S. 250 West.

How to access Web map

The newly launched Web map can be viewed at www.virginia.edu/Map/.