The Smithsonian-Mason Conservation Studies Program builds conservation capacity through undergraduate, graduate and professional education that emphasizes science-based approaches to conservation and decision-making. The program immerses 60 college students and 60 professional students in an active research community on the SCBI campus in Front Royal, Virginia. Students live among, learn from, and work side-by-side with scientists and scholars in a holistic living/learning environment.

W.M. Jordan Company teamed with Page Southerland Page to design and build a 125-bed residence hall, 100-seat dining venue, and common areas that support and enhance the mission of the program. As a testament to the success of the project, the Design Build Institute of America awarded the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation Learning Living Facility a 2013 Design-Build Honor Award at both the regional and national levels for “design-build done right.”

“It is clear that the design-build team of W.M. Jordan and Page Southerland Page was highly committed to the overall success of the project. The commitment is evidenced by the overall knowledge of the team in all phases of design and construction, quality of the workmanship, materials used in the project and responsiveness to the University’s (and SI’s) needs and concerns.”
– Nancy S. Pickens, R.A., Project Manager for George Mason University