Waves gently break against the shoreline as you delve deeper into your ESS 101 textbook. Just a few yards away, a sailboat silently glides through the water. You look up, raising a hand to shade your eyes from the piercing sunlight. You think about the natural beauty of your campus as you take in the sights and sounds around you. Surely this scene takes place at one of the UC schools; perhaps San Diego, Irvine, or UCLA.
In reality, you’re a student at the University of Washington in the near future. Your favorite study spot isn’t a California coastal beach; but instead, the brand new Portage Bay Park; just one of many new constructions proposed in the 2018 Campus Master Plan.
In reality, you’re a student at the University of Washington in the near future. Your favorite study spot isn’t a California coastal beach; but instead, the brand new Portage Bay Park; just one of many new constructions proposed in the 2018 Campus Master Plan.
START OFF WITH A PLAN
A master plan is a type of land use document that creates a blueprint for all possible future developments on a given property. The City of Seattle has codes that set a path that institutions must follow to draft a master plan.
“All the colleges, universities and hospitals in Seattle develop master plans as a way of involving the surrounding communities and other governments in building a blueprint for growth,” is how Sally Clark explains the basic ideas of a master plan. Clark is the director of the Office of Regional & Community Relations at the University of Washington.
The steps required to draft a master plan include researching ideas and goals, hiring an exterior design firm, completing environmental reviews, and sharing options with faculty, staff, students, neighbors, and other government bodies along the way. The UW’s 2018 Campus Master Plan was put into development in early 2015, with a final draft published on July 5th, 2017.What does this 319 page document hold and what should students, faculty, and staff care most about?
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Development Zone E of the 2018 UW CMP shows the potential developments in the north-eastern section of campus, including a redeveloped Padelford Hall, and the new north campus dorms. The new north dorms will increase the number of student beds available at the UW.
(Sourced from University of Washington 2018 Campus Master Plan)
GOT DORMS? — NORTH CAMPUS
Rob Lubin, HFS’s Director for Facilities and Capital Planning, served on the Campus Master Plan development committee which provided ample opportunity to discuss future on-campus housing needs with the CMP working group.
Lubin puts it very simply, “As demand for on-campus housing has remained very strong, students should be excited to see that the CMP calls for additional on-campus beds over the next decade.”
The CMP includes details of the North Campus Student Housing Project which proposes to demolish the 1,480 beds at McCarty and Hagget Halls and replace them with 2,133 beds in the new McCarty, Madrona, Willow, and Oak Halls. As of now this fall, McCarty, Willow, and Madrona Halls are currently operating.
A subsequent phase of the housing project plans to add 700 beds with the construction of New Haggett. HFS has also promised at least an additional 1,000 beds throughout the housing inventory during the live of this CMP.
The above photos display the current housing situation at the UW. Plans for Haggett and McMahon Halls have not been finalized at this time, but will likely include redevelopment rather than complete removal and replacement..
(Sourced form University of Washington 2018 Campus Master Plan)
(Sourced form University of Washington 2018 Campus Master Plan)
In recent years, HFS has been careful to balance the delivery of additional beds with the usage of campus land. Lubin offered Terry and Lander Halls as examples. The 1950s version of Terry and Lander held approximately 1,200 beds. The new version of these halls house 1,800 beds in the same three-block footprint.
“Supporting student’s needs,” is how Lubin would describe the housing segment of the CMP in just a few words.
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An overview of the potential development sites throughout central campus. The north campus dorms are visible at the top center of the image.
(Sourced from the University of Washington 2018 Campus Master Plan)
OLD CAMPUS, NEW TRICKS — CENTRAL CAMPUS
The CMP identifies roughly 2.7 million gross square feet of potential developments throughout central campus; of these, 1.1 million square feet would need to be demolished or redeveloped.
Among this square footage are four redevelopments of Mackenzie, Sieg, Benson Halls, and the Chem Library Building. These buildings were all built in the early 1960s and their age has become visually apparent.
What may be upsetting to some students is the proposed redevelopment of the entirety of Padelford Hall and it’s eponymous garage, a staple for commuting students. This has the potential to wipe out 218 parking spaces reserved for daily parking permits if below-grade parking is not incorporated into new developments.
The central campus segment of the CMP marks a total of 1,389 parking stalls that may be removed with new developments; this is just over 10 percent of the UW’s current 12,000 parking cap.
Though, the redevelopment of Padelford garage is not a certainty. Notably, the area was marked for redevelopment on the 2003 CMP and still remains in the present.
Clark hopes that “if current parking would be displaced by a new building, at least some parking would be recreated.” She continues, “but that will depend on the demands and travel patterns at the time.”
Ideas concerning Red Square from the 2018 Campus Master Plan are visualized in this graphic. ADA access to more sides of Red Square should have a big impact on the way disabled students maneuver around the square.
(Sourced from the University of Washington 2018 Campus Master Plan)
Another important detail of central campus redevelopment is the idea to make Red Square more inviting. Of the five pedestrian walkways entering Red Square currently, only two have ADA accessibility. The CMP notes that Red Square should be made more inviting and universal access connections should be constructed to Memorial Way and Campus Parkway, which should be extremely impactful for disabled students living in west campus dorms.
These students currently have to either enter the central parking garage and take an elevator into Red Square, or proceed around the buildings of Red Square to one of the only two accessible entrances, both of which are located on the eastern side of the square.
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Though this graphic shows a massive amount of new development across all of east campus, it is unlikely that the majority of this will be completed within the ten year scope of the CMP. Most development completed in the next decade will be that in the lower area around the IMA and Husky Stadium.
(Sourced from the University of Washington 2018 Campus Master Plan)
SURFACE LOTS? SURELY NOT — EAST CAMPUS
The east side of campus sees the most drastic possible changes in the CMP. Over 4.7 million gross square feet is identified across 29 individual sites.
Many commuters would bemoan the fact that the majority of the allotted square footage comes from the redevelopment of the E1 parking lots; potentially wiping out nearly 4,000 parking stalls. However, the lots are built on top of methane-producing landfill and as such, the CMP notes that development within the next ten years is unlikely due to the prohibitive costs of building on such a site.
The CMP also acknowledges that a better central-east campus connection will be instrumental in the success of a redeveloped east campus. The significant change in elevation between the E lots and central campus has proven a strong detriment to east campus development in the past.
Nature activists will be pleased to learn that the UW almost completely avoided new development in the Union Bay Natural Area. The UW wrote the Environmental Stewardship Policy in 2004 which seeks to protect the campus’s historical, cultural and ecological resources.
For now, it seems that east campus development will remain around the IMA and stadium and some of the housing situated around U Village. The development of the E lots will, for the next ten years at least, remain just a pipe dream for University architects.
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This graphic shows the immense amount of redevelopment planned for the UWMC. Note the use of stepped buildings in order to reduce the overall visual mass of the building.
(Sourced from the University of Washington 2018 Campus Master Plan)
DID YOU LIKE THAT TOWER? HAVE SOME MORE — SOUTH CAMPUS
The south campus segment of the CMP notes the highest amount of gross square footage available of any section of campus at just under 5 million square feet. Reaching this 5 million square foot figure would require the redevelopment of over 2.8 million square feet of existing structures; almost the entirety of the UW Medical Center.
UWMC opened in 1959 after being developed by the UW’s first medical school, opened in 1946. Since 1959, the UWMC has received only one major addition in the form of the 2012, eight story tall “Montlake Tower”. While this addition did add 120 beds, increasing hospital capacity by almost 25%, it’s obvious that the rest of the UWMC is in desperate need of redevelopment.
It’s unclear exactly how much of the south campus redevelopment would belong to the medical center or the health sciences departments. What is clear, is that the UW is taking steps to bring more attention to the southern shoreline with large pedestrian green areas, and more of an emphasis applied to the central-south campus connection which passes above NE Pacific Street.
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This graphic represents all of the possible development sites across west campus. Of note is the Portage Bay Park and connecting UW park seen at the bottom center of the image.
(Sourced from the University of Washington 2018 Campus Master Plan)
A BEACH? A BEACH! — WEST CAMPUS
West campus appears to be the UW’s focus for the next 10 years. The UW intends to use three million, 50 percent of the six million gross new square foot development limit, on buildings in west campus.
A major theme in potential developments across west campus is the use of a stepped building style. By building in a stepped fashion, the mass of the building is set further and further back from the street as it rises. This reduces shadow effects on the street and creates a more open feeling space with increased air and sunlight.
The City of Seattle will be building the Portage Bay Park in the location of the old UWPD headquarters across from the Fishery Sciences Building on Boat Street. The park will feature public access beach as well as walking paths and spaces for people to relax and take in the sights of Portage Bay.
UW had a strong hand in development of the Portage Bay Park: “...two UW staff folks on our project review committee offered input on the design and served as a conduit to the broader UW community for their input,” according to David Graves, Senior Planner, for City of Seattle Parks and Recreation.
The UW intends to take advantage of this new city-owned park by building their own companion park on the opposite side of Boat Street, in the current location of the Marine Studies and Fishery Teaching and Research Buildings.
Efforts to increase the open-air and nature setting will extend up most of Brooklyn Street, insuring a nice walk south for patrons of the new U District Link station set to open in 2021. The City of Seattle has also announced plans to improve the pedestrian aspects of 43rd Street between Brooklyn and 15th for Link riders.
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WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
“...not many people get excited about land use documents,” is how Clark characterized the CMP when I first began my research. But she went on, “For students, I think the plans for a new park, new classroom and research buildings, an additional 1,000 student beds wrapped up in principles for sustainability and connectivity are exciting.”
The UW and Seattle as a whole are institutions on the rise. The UW Link station revolutionized how students get to campus and now the U District station will bring even more visitors. A completely rebuilt hospital and new public beach access will only bring more attention to the UW. The 2018 CMP should excite students past and present and all Seattleites, as the UW represents Seattle on the world educational stage.
While the CMP does not necessarily tell the precise buildings which the UW will build and re-develop over the next decade, it does paint a story of forward-thinking and stewardship efforts. The CMP shows that the UW isn’t afraid to branch out, innovate, and grow in the name of bettering the hospital, the university as a whole, and the education that’s provided to students.
Reach author Jordan Pickett at jordan@jpix.media.
