Seattle, September 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – LMN Architects is proud to celebrate the completion of the solid wood structure of Founders Hall at UW Foster School of Business. Framing the northeast edge of historic Denny Yard, the open space at the heart of the original campus plan, the new 85,000-square-foot building is slated for completion in the summer of 2022.

Founders Hall is expanding the Foster School business training complex with a variety of student programs to further integrate its interactive learning culture, strategic thinking, and the fabric of entrepreneurial initiatives on the central campus. The building is organized in two parts to optimize the functionality of the program of work, learning and collaboration activities.

Active learning, collaboration and event spaces are positioned at the southern end of the site to harness the distinctive qualities of the Denny Yard landscape, as well as to connect with the heavily used footpaths that cross the grounds. . The landscaped terraces and rain gardens reinforce the natural slope and evergreen plantings of the precious open space. In contrast, the north facade of the building along Stevens Way is clad in masonry in response to the strength of the campus buildings facing the ring road.

An open circulation space serves as a central connector with a characteristic staircase that provides shared access to multi-level classrooms, student commons, special event venues and the outdoor terrace. Multi-level classrooms are designed to serve multiple group sizes, from 65 to 135 students, with active learning functionality. The collaboration area is further enabled by twenty-eight team rooms, four conference rooms, a common area for students and an events forum with an adjacent rooftop terrace.

Frank Hodge, Orin & Janet Smith Dean, Foster School of Business, comments: “LMN Architects has been a true partner in the design of Founders Hall. Decisions were made in a collaborative manner with ideas openly shared and results respected by both parties. Our decision to go from a concrete and steel structure to a solid wood structure was a monumental change in the design. LMN excelled in incorporating all of our ideas to celebrate the use of wood in the project and created a more open, inviting, beautiful and highly functional design.

Founders Hall reflects the highly interactive nature of new century businesses and is designed for lasting performance and social connections to inspire future generations of business leaders. The project is a model of sustainable design at the University of Washington and adopts UW green building standards to reduce embodied carbon emissions by 83%.

Mark Reddington, Partner, LMN Architects, comments: “This project complements a complex of interconnected buildings and spaces that we have been designing for Foster School for many years. It serves multiple program functions with an inclusive and equitable social environment, integrated into the historic landscape of the UW campus.

The building has a system of collaborative spaces designed to encourage teamwork and foster spontaneous interaction between students, program staff, and the wider business community. Classrooms, boardrooms and recruiting spaces provide increased opportunities for community and corporate engagement by hosting events and inviting outside speakers, alumni and corporate recruiters.

Robert Vincent, Project Manager, Hoffman Construction Company, comments: “The guiding principle of our design-build team has been to identify the best alternatives and solutions for the project. We have embraced the customer’s desire for a solid wood structure, and although we have experienced supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic, we are fast becoming a model of what is possible with new construction technologies and techniques. It was a pleasure working with everyone at the University of Washington, LMN Architects, the team of consultants and all the business partners involved in the success of the project.

Robert Smith, Director of LMN Architects, comments: “This project demonstrates how an integrated client and a design-build team can translate a vision of sustainability into a building that is equally successful in driving user social performance as it does performance. operational of the building. The 83% reduction in operational carbon is the result of a careful balance between envelope performance, mechanical system design, and user commitment to take advantage of operable windows and ceiling fans instead of energy-intensive air conditioning. “

The building is LMN’s most recent project within the Foster School of Business, which began with the initial master plan in 2002 and also includes the PACCAR Hall and Dempsey Hall projects. Founders Hall is one of the University of Washington’s first projects to be delivered as a progressive design-build project.

LMN Architects has designed more than 140 projects on 47 campuses in the United States, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle; the Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa in Iowa City; Edward J. Minskoff Pavilion at Michigan State University at East Lansing; and Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business at Clemson University.

About LMN Architects
Since its founding in 1979, LMN Architects has dedicated its practice to the health and vitality of communities of all scales. Internationally recognized for planning and designing environments that enhance the social experience. The company works in a variety of project typologies, including higher education institutions, scientific and technological projects, civic and cultural projects, conference and congress centers, mixed urban uses and transport.

LMN has successfully completed over 700 projects across North America, such as the Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas; West Vancouver Convention Center in Vancouver, Canada; Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences Middle School in Seattle, Washington; Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington; Sound Transit University of Washington Station in Seattle, Washington; and the recently completed expansion and renovation of the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company employs 150 talented professionals practicing architecture, interior design and urban design. The quality of the work has been recognized by nearly 300 national and international design awards, including the prestigious National Architecture Firm Award 2016 from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

For more information on the work of LMN Architects, please visit lmnarchitects.com

• 01 Founders Hall_Image Credit LMN Architects

• 02 Founders Hall_Image Credit Adam Hunter-LMN Architects