UW News

Buildings and grounds


March 8, 2024

Video: Predicting cherry tree bloom timing at the UW

Cherry trees on the University of Washington’s Seattle campus are waking up and getting ready to say hello. For the 29 iconic Yoshino cherry trees in the UW Quad, peak bloom will likely begin after March 20.


January 18, 2024

Preliminary permit process starting for UW housing redevelopment plan

aerieal shot of UW

University of Washington development partner Greystar submitted permit numbers paperwork this week for a multiphase plan to invest in some of the University’s existing housing in the neighborhoods east of the main Seattle campus to increase housing options, affordability for its students, faculty, and families, and improve student housing quality.


November 20, 2023

New research aims to reduce fatal bird collisions on campus

A dead bird lies on the pavement

A project in the UW College of Built Environments, led by researcher Judy Bowes, is examining how building architecture contributes to bird collisions, and the ways bird-safe glass and other designs can help address the problem.


September 7, 2023

Video: New hives at UW Farm welcome us to ‘bee curious’

A close up of bees on a honey comb.

The UW Farm welcomed an addition this spring: two bee hives in an apiary on the south side of the Center for Urban Horticulture. The hives will serve as a teaching tool for students who want to know more about agriculture and the function of pollinators in the ecosystem.


June 7, 2023

Video: UW Architecture’s bench project turns an idea into an experience

In UW Architecture’s Making and Meaning class, students built benches to learn about design and construction, and to create community.


May 11, 2023

UW, partners celebrate the groundbreaking of new U District Station Building

Artist rendering of the new U District Station Building.

The University of Washington joined Lincoln Property Company, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation and Sound Transit on May 10 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new University District Station Building, along with local officials, community leaders and neighbors. The 266,000-square-foot office building resting above the University District light rail station will feature ground-floor retail and amenities, office space and a rooftop terrace.


March 15, 2023

Cherry blossoms get new visitors’ website, are on track for early April peak bloom

The cherry blossoms at the University of Washington campus are a seasonal tradition and celebration for the entire region. This year’s colder-than-usual spring is demanding a little more patience. Mark your calendars and plan your visit for a peak bloom expected in early April.


April 1, 2022

Video: Rubbish is reborn as ‘Trash Art’ in unique contest

Image of quilt made from disposable face masks

Bottle tops, face masks and dog hair — these are all items usually destined for the dumpster. But UW Recycling came up with a unique art contest that takes waste from garbage to gallery.


March 14, 2022

UW Regents approve milestone development in new Portage Bay Crossing area on Seattle campus

digital rendering of a building

The University of Washington Board of Regents last week approved the development plan for the first major project in the UW’s newly named Portage Bay Crossing area on the west side of the Seattle campus. The Regents approved a ground lease of the property at Site W27 to Wexford Science + Technology and a lease of building space by the University.


March 10, 2022

UW welcomes community to view cherry blossoms; peak bloom expected mid-March

full bloom expected mid-march for cherry blossoms

The 29 cherry trees in the Quad usually reach peak bloom the third week of March, and this year is on track to meet that timing.


December 14, 2021

Millions in savings from construction of UW’s Hans Rosling Center for Population Health to fund new research

Using project savings from the construction of the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, the University of Washington will fund dozens of new research projects through the Population Health Initiative’s interdisciplinary grant program. The new grants will fall into three tiers, with funding from $20,000 to $200,000 per award. “We are delighted to have the…


September 24, 2021

Video: UW students move into residence halls

Student unpacking belongings in dorm room.

Student move-in days are a yearly event at the UW, generating excitement among families and fueled by student volunteers. About 10,000 students living in residence halls for the 2021-2022 academic year are moving in September 21 to 24. 


September 22, 2021

Get to know the UW campus with Indigenous Walking Tour

painting

During his senior year, Owen Oliver created a walking tour of UW’s Seattle campus, highlighting the Indigenous presence on campus.


September 14, 2021

Returning to the U District: Recovering from the pandemic with more changes ahead

Hardship, change and resilience — that’s been the experience of the U District community during the pandemic, just as it’s been the experience of us all. As students, faculty and staff return to campus in September, they are going to find that the UW’s front door looks different — and it is on the precipice of even bigger changes to come.


May 27, 2021

Video: Suzzallo bonsai a symbol of peace, resilience and inclusiveness

Close up of man with mask working on small delicate branches

The potted junipers on the steps of Suzzallo Library are undergoing a transformation. Flanking the entrance to one of UW’s most beloved buildings, they are viewed by hundreds of people walking through Red Square each week. Bioengineering postdoctoral researcher Le Zhen is transforming these shrubs into bonsai — miniature trees that are pruned, nurtured and trained with wire to look like their much older, full-sized counterparts living in nature. He hopes this prominent display of bonsai will signal to members of the AAPI community that UW is safe and welcoming.


March 8, 2021

Watch the UW cherry blossoms virtually this year and avoid coming to campus due to COVID-19

up-close shot of blossoms on a cherry tree

The University of Washington once again is asking people to enjoy the iconic campus cherry blossoms virtually this year to promote physical distancing and safety during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


January 28, 2021

Official notice: UW determination of non-significance adoption of existing document

Official Notice image

The UW Bothell Husky Village Redevelopment project is being proposed in Development Area D of the campus to provide residence halls, apartments, dining, gathering and office space.


September 14, 2020

UW announces COVID-19 testing program for students, faculty and staff across all three campuses

A sculpture of the University of Washington W logo

The University of Washington on Monday announced a comprehensive COVID-19 fall quarter testing program in advance of some students, faculty and staff returning to the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses later this month.


August 28, 2020

UW breaks ground on the future of health sciences education and improving our health

The future of our health and the health of the communities we live in relies, in many ways, on students in the health sciences. The education and experiences that future doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and public health experts receive will to a large degree shape how those professionals work and work together when…


June 18, 2020

University of Washington issues COVID-19 face covering policy

person wearing facemask

The University of Washington has issued a face covering policy for all university personnel, students, staff, contractors and visitors who are on campus amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a reminder, only employees designated as critical can be working in-person and only at the direction of their supervisor.


May 15, 2020

Staff feature: What it’s like to photograph the stories of a quiet university campus and bustling medical center amid a pandemic

Fountain with light streaming in through the water

One of the essential roles that is often not seen is the work of our campus photographers. They continue to capture the visual stories and people on campus in a time when many of us aren’t there to see them ourselves. UW News asked one of our campus photographers to share some of his favorite photos he’s taken this spring, and to describe what it’s like working on campus now.


April 23, 2020

Face masks sewn for UW housing, dining, custodial staff

A team of staff and students are sewing masks and offering them for free to UW housing, custodial, dining and food service workers.


March 23, 2020

Video: UW custodial staff in the midst of massive ‘deep clean’ of campus

woman at end of hallways wipes sculpture

When the UW moved to online instruction March 9, UW Facilities Services developed a three-week disinfection plan. Custodial staff are now working through more than 500 classrooms, lecture halls, libraries, auditoriums and shared spaces, with similar efforts under way in Bothell and Tacoma.


March 5, 2020

Visitors should avoid coming to UW campus to see cherry blossoms amid COVID-19 outbreak

blossoms up close

The University is asking people to avoid coming to campus this year to comply with Gov. Inslee’s March 11 proclamation that prohibits large gatherings of more than 250 people as our region combats the spread of COVID-19.


December 17, 2019

Beauty in Brutalism? Architecture professor Alex Anderson reviews the UW’s ‘bunkerlike’ behemoths

Alex Anderson, a professor in the College of Built Environments, wrote an article on Brutalism for Harvard Design News, so UW Notebook asked him his views on Brutalist buildings at the UW.

A discussion of Brutalist architecture on the UW campus with professor Alex Anderson of the Department of Architecture.


September 20, 2019

Video: 2019 move-in days for campus Huskies

The University of Washington welcomed nearly 10,000 students during Husky move-in days Sept. 18-20.


September 9, 2019

UW-GU Regional Health Partnership announces new center in Spokane

Digital rendering of new building

McKinstry to design and construct $60 million ‘leap forward’ for medical education, health sciences research and innovation.


September 3, 2019

UW colleges, offices share three-year NSF grant to make ‘internet of things’ more secure

Several UW schools and offices will team up to research how organizational practices can affect the interagency collaboration needed to keep the “internet of things” — and institutional systems — safe and secure.


August 13, 2019

HUB closed starting at 2 p.m. on Aug. 14 and Sept. 4 for police training activities

Husky Union Building

The Husky Union Building (HUB) will be closed from 2 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 14 and Sept. 4 for the UW Police Department to conduct training exercises inside the building.


August 2, 2019

UW selects artists and tops out Population Health Building

rendering

The University of Washington today announced the topping out of the new $230 million Population Health Building. The UW also has selected two artists whose work will help tell the story of the education and research that will take place within the new facility.


May 9, 2019

Former cleantech executive leads development of University of Washington energy research and technology center

A future building on the University of Washington campus.

The University of Washington and its Clean Energy Institute named Kevin Klustner executive director of the Center for Advanced Materials and Clean Energy Technologies, or CAMCET. When complete, CAMCET will be a 340,000-square-foot building that will bring together UW scientists and engineers with industry, civic and nonprofit partners to accelerate clean energy solutions for a healthy planet.


April 19, 2019

Video: New Esports Arena opens at UW

The UW celebrated the opening of an esports center with a ribbon cutting ceremony April 18.


Soundbites: UW Esports Arena & Gaming Lounge opens

The UW celebrated the opening of an esports center with a ribbon cutting ceremony April 18.


April 1, 2019

UW students spearhead efforts to predict peak bloom for cherry trees

collecting data

A team of UW students hopes to make it possible to accurately predict peak bloom timing for the iconic Quad cherry trees.


March 29, 2019

Soundbites: UW Quad cherry blossoms reach peak bloom

UW arborist Sara Shores explains that the iconic cherry trees in the University of Washington’s Quad have reached peak bloom, and this weekend will be prime viewing to see the blossoms.


March 21, 2019

Video: Snow may have delayed some blooms for the first day of spring

The first day of spring seems especially significant this year — record warm temperatures in the Northwest are marking the change of seasons. But our blooms may be a couple weeks behind schedule after February’s snow and cold weather, according to Ray Larson, curator at UW Botanic Gardens.


March 20, 2019

Soundbites: Snow may have delayed some blooms for the first day of spring

The first day of spring, when daylight hours begin to exceed nighttime hours, seems especially significant this year — record warm temperatures in the Northwest are marking the change of seasons. But our blooms may be a couple weeks behind schedule after February’s snow and cold weather.


February 28, 2019

Bill & Melinda Gates Center opens a new era of computer science education and innovation at the University of Washington

building

The University of Washington today marked the official opening of the new Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering on its Seattle campus. The building doubles the space available to UW’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering to enable a new wave of computing innovation and to educate more of Washington’s students for 21st century careers that will help shape the future of technology.


February 21, 2019

Quad cherry blossoms expected to peak end of March, if weather cooperates

Cherry blossoms on March 12.

The iconic cherry trees in the University of Washington’s Quad will likely reach peak bloom the third week of March, right in line with most years.


January 15, 2019

Esports Arena & Gaming Lounge to open at University of Washington

esports

Esports — the phenomenally popular world of competitive video games — soon will have a home at the University of Washington.

This spring, the UW’s Husky Union Building (HUB) will officially open the doors to the HUB Esports Arena & Gaming Lounge – a full-service, state-of-the-art gaming center that supports both casual and competitive gaming and virtual reality. The 1,000 square-foot space will serve as the epicenter between student communities, business communities and gaming culture in the Northwest.



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