Built Environment
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a grant of $3.5 million to a multi-university, regional transportation center led by the University of Washington. The newly established Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium, or PacTrans, will focus on safe and sustainable transportation systems.
Earlier this month, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at WSU merged with the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the UW.
University of Washington statisticians used a computer model to study the effect of replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct on commuter travel times. They found that relying on surface streets would likely have less impact on travel times than previously reported, and that effects on commute times are not well known.
UW engineers and architects are collaborating on smart windows that can change transparency depending on conditions and actually harvest energy from the sun’s rays.
University of Washington researchers, along with design and construction professionals, will devise standards that will help limit carbon footprints of building products and systems.