The University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia College this week celebrated the opening of Innovation Hall on their campuses located northeast of Seattle. The new $79 million facility will serve students in biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, and electrical and mechanical engineering.
The two institutions will have separate and shared spaces inside the 80,000 square foot building. The design is intended to encourage collaborations between the university and the community college, and across academic departments.
The hall includes:
- 15 science and engineering labs,
- 13 classrooms,
- 2 student-directed learning labs, and
- 34 faculty offices and open workspaces.
Educators and officials from the schools hosted a ribbon cutting on Thursday evening. The facility opens to students in January.
“I’m excited about the opportunities this will bring for faculty as we comingle and collaborate rather than just coexist and co-locate. The future for our students as they enter this incredible building truly is boundless,” said Leslie Cornick, dean of UW Bothell’s School of STEM, at the event Thursday.
The project had to navigate multiple hurdles to completion. The design for the building started in January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to work and supply chains, driving up costs for materials. A strike by concrete workers in late 2021 halted work on the concrete frame structure for 145 days.
The state initially provided each institution with roughly $40 million to build separate STEM facilities, but rising construction costs and a desire to reduce environmental impacts led to the joint project.
“These investments support a more sustainable, healthy, innovative and just future for all of us,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce at the ribbon cutting.
The design build team for Innovation Hall was Lease Crutcher Lewis and Mithun.