Founders Hall, Foster School of Business, University of Washington
Seattle, WA
- Award Year
- 2024
- Award Category
- Wood in Architecture
- Architect
- LMN Architects
- Structural Engineer
- Magnusson Klemencic Associates; Carla Keel Group PLLC; Autoscan
- Owner
- Foster School of Business, University of Washington
- Contractor
- Hoffman Construction Company
- Photos:
- Tim Griffith
Inspiring future business leaders with a sustainable learning environment
Design innovation can be found throughout Founders Hall, built for the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. Architects made purposeful use of materials and creative use of code provisions, using Type IV-HT for the mass timber portion of the building—a glue-laminated timber (glulam) post and beam structure with cross-laminated timber (CLT) decking—and Type I-B for the large assembly spaces, constructed using concrete and steel.
A striking mass timber stairway ties the spaces together and creates an iconic gathering place for students and staff.
An early evaluation of alternative structural options showed a higher cost for mass timber, but LMN Architects worked with local mass timber manufacturers in early schematic design to optimize column grid layouts and minimize waste. This, together with speedy construction enabled by the mass timber, kept the project within its target budget. But it’s the sustainable materials and operations, balancing high performance with low carbon, which really distinguish Founders Hall.
By using mass timber, the design team reduced the building’s embodied carbon by 58 percent. Founders Hall became the first project in the world to sell carbon offsets realized through sequestered carbon in the mass timber, a move which helped pay for the construction itself. Now considered the greenest building on campus, the LEED Gold project sets an example of how to use wood to provide measurable benefits for future University of Washington campus buildings.
84,800 sf / Type IV-HT and Type I-B construction
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