Created in collaboration with a group of landscape architecture students from the University of Virginia, Arrival on Grounds was a ritualized gathering that integrated students into their first semester at an institution with a difficult history while building deep community bonds. The project aimed to nurture a culture of mutuality and care out of the patriarchal, capitalist, and colonial dimensions of architectural education. We created a contemplative journey through the campus grounds—a three-part experience that wove together personal reflection, ritual, and somatic learning.

The project was born from a desire expressed by the students for new ways of connecting to one another and making sense of their campus. Built on colonized Monacan land, the University of Virginia was created to educate the elite white men who ruled the American south. Enslavement was foundational to the school, as it was built and staffed by enslaved laborers. Their homes and workplaces are still part of the school’s campus.