Work moving forward on two big campus building projects
Construction preparation is moving forward on the two major public works projects currently underway on campus: the new residence hall, located on the site of the old Highland Hall and Highland Lounge, and the Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISB), located south of the Biology Building.
Site preparation for the new residence hall is beginning this week with tree removal and site grading. Trees that have to be removed, both for the new residence hall and the ISB, will be either be reused as design elements in the projects or taken with their root balls intact to be used for salmon-habitat restoration. Placed in rivers, the trees slow the current and provide places for salmon to rest and hide from predators. Plans are also in place to plant a new tree on campus for each tree that has to be removed.
The new Interdisciplinary Science Building will add urgently needed lab and classroom space to meet the rapidly growing demand for degree programs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. The building will feature two teaching labs for Biology, three teaching labs for Chemistry, and five flex lab spaces to adapt to the needs of other programs and research, along with three active learning classrooms.
The building is designed for flexibility, shared use, and encouragement of collaborative activities. The new facility will allow Western to expand access to STEM courses, reducing time to graduation and increasing opportunities across the STEM fields.
The ISB鈥檚 location south of the Biology building will allow for a sky bridge connection to Biology and proximity to other STEM programs on campus. Construction of the approximately 55,000-square-foot building is slated to begin May 2020 and be completed in January 2022.
The total budget for the project, including design, construction, furniture, and equipment, is anticipated to be approximately $66.5 million, with the funding coming from Washington state appropriations. Site improvements will include pedestrian pathways, integrated landscape, lighting and hardscape around the building.
The University has contracted Perkins + Will of Seattle and BN Builders of Seattle to design and construct the new building, and the project is targeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold rating.