Campus builder: Everett University Center at Washington State University
By David Barista, Editorial Director
As the anchor building of a new branch campus for Washington State University, the 95,000-sf Everett University Center plays a crucial role in providing STEM-based baccalaureate and graduate programs to the North Puget Sound region. Previously, this area had been underserved by higher education opportunities for low- and middle-income families. The facility is the inaugural building of a master-planned campus.
The EUC is designed to engage students, local businesses, and the community. The four-story atrium serves as an interior street and is fronted by key student support elements with multiple “storefronts” for student services, a tiered lecture hall, classroom, and the Capstone Studio, an upper-division lab providing students and industry partners a place for invention and innovation. Large bifold doors in the lab spaces open to a paved outdoor workspace for lab work, demonstrations, and community participation.
The atrium is adorned with a striking cantilevered Douglas Fir staircase as a nod to the storied history of the Pacific Northwest timber industry and a statement of modern engineering. The wood stair structure is made of 5/8-inch-thick lamella, custom bent and glued to create sinuous full-length spans for the stringers spanning up to 44 feet.
Green features in this LEED Gold-registered building are on display throughout. The photovoltaic panels are showcased along the roofline on the southern façade. Supported by a cantilevered steel subframe, the PVs extend 10 feet beyond the face of the building, as a modern interpretation of a cornice. A dashboard in the lobby displays real-time PV productivity and the building’s energy consumption.
The atrium is naturally cooled and ventilated with mechanically operable windows and louvers. During winter months, heat energy is harvested from the building’s data center and reused in the atrium’s hydronic radiant floor. Rainwater is captured in a below-grade cistern and repurposed for toilet flushing and irrigation.
Building Team — Submitting firm, architect SRG Partnership Owner Washington State University Structural engineer KPFF Consulting Engineers MEP engineer McKinstry General contractor Hoffman Construction
General Information — Size 95,000 sf Construction cost $64.6 million Construction time July 2015 to May 2017 Delivery method Design-build