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UW Aquatic Research Facility: Site Study + Design Visions

Course Instructors

Julie Parrett

Course Date

Spring 2018

Course Type

Advanced Graduate Studio

Course Description

Working with the UW Office of Capital Planning + Development and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, students from the College of Built Environments explored how the strategic site selection, programming, and site development of a new Aquatic Research Center at UW might serve its primary function for research and learning while also activating campus life, enhancing connections to the natural world, and engaging off-campus collaborators. Students incorporated relevant goals and objectives from the 2018 University of Washington Seattle Campus Master Plan and Landscape in Motion: UW’s Campus Landscape Framework (2015) as they considered and evaluated potential locations for the facility.

As aspiring landscape and architecture designers, the students worked in teams to investigate landscape phenomena, relationships, processes and systems and develop designs visions which embody creativity and a sophisticated sense of space, process and form.  The students were encouraged to develop strategies and craft places which focus on how the exterior components of the center accommodates research needs while fostering a vibrant campus and public life. The Aquatic Research Center must function as a hub for aquatic research but should also be experienced as a place of advocacy for our connection to the natural world in general and Pacific NW salmon in particular.

The student teams were tasked with

  • developing a vision and program for the center,
  • identifying and assessing appropriate campus sites, and
  • developing concept designs which consider both the campus’ current context and UW’s future campus development plans.

This studio would not have been possible without the financial support of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Puget Sound Anglers, and Northwest Marine Technology, Inc.

Course Artifacts

1 UW ARC Foreward and Overview
2 UW ARC FH Vision 1
3 UW ARC FH Vision 2
4 UW ARC UBNA Vision 3
5 UW ARC UBNA Vision 4
6 UW ARC 6 Resources

Full Report (low resolution)