University of Washington North Campus Housing

Project highlights: University of Washington North Campus Housing

• Architecture firm:  KieranTimberlake
• Location: Seattle
• Category:  Four
• Project site:  Previously developed
• Building program type(s): Lodging - residence hall/dormitory

• A vibrant living and learning community for 2,000 University of Washington students, this LEED Gold-certified project extends the historic Seattle campus fabric by weaving together four buildings and their accompanying landscapes on a previously isolated site. Fostering engagement and connection among the campus community through a blend of dining, instruction, meeting, and recreation spaces, it offers crucial space in a city where affordable housing has all but disappeared.

  The need for the project arose after years of continued growth and an expanding student body, leading the university to explore a multiphase development plan to refine portions of its north campus and extend the campus core into a new network of memorable spaces. These four new buildings are central to that plan, and they showcase shared activity and student amenity spaces on their grade-adjacent floors. Above, the residential spaces maintain privacy. But by inviting students out of their rooms to participate in a connected complex that integrates with the landscape and buildings, the project fosters a campus-wide identity and opportunities to forge new relationships among the university community and the city at large. 

Its core is assembled in a pinwheel formation with a town square at the center, allowing for a natural progression between the campus’ historic plan and the new addition. A meandering mid-slope path is worked into the steep site to achieve full accessibility and maximize built and natural space. North Campus Housing boasts an intramural field, numerous student lounges, a learning resource and tutoring center, classrooms, a conference room that can accommodate 300 people, and the McCarty Innovation Learning Lab. The latter offers easy access to makerspace tools to spur impromptu creativity and exploration among North Campus Housing’s residents.

From its location on a natural plateau along Kincaid Ravine, the project frames the east ridge of the campus, prioritizes green space, and maximizes solar orientation. The slats for the western red cedar rainscreens, which complement the surrounding mature trees, are organized vertically over metal battens to create a woven visual effect that ties into the Pacific Northwest’s rich history of basket weaving. Much like the act of weaving, the facades achieve ornament through a combination of making, structure, and assembly.

The team designed the buildings for a 60-year lifespan, and the dorm rooms can flex between doubles, triples, or even large singles, as was the case when one of the buildings served as temporary housing during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The flexibility allows the university to manage its operations and price points to serve students of varying financial situations. Coupled with the increased public spaces on campus, the project has established a framework for enhanced engagement and activity on campus for decades to come.