Benjamin Hays is the University Building Official and Senior Civil & Structural Engineer for the Office of the University Building Official (OUBO). As Building Official, he directs a team of architects and engineers who are responsible for providing technical review and administering code compliance for all new construction and renovation work at UVA's Central Grounds, the Hospital, College at Wise, and Blandy Experimental Farm. He additionally provides management support to UVA's Environmental Resources team. Prior to UVA, Ben worked as an engineer in both public and private sectors throughout California and Virginia.
Ben is regular lecturer in the School of Architecture with expertise in structures and the history of building technology. His courses engage with UVA's constructed environment and frequently include construction site visits, the study of technical drawings and photographs, and scale reconstructions of historic building technologies.
Ben holds Civil and Structural engineering licenses in Virginia and California, is a nationally Certified Building Official, and is a LEED Associated Professional. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, and the Construction History Society of America, where he serves on the Management Committee.
