As an integrated element in both the interior and exterior expression, the building incorporates a mass timber structure with cross-laminated timber decking, reflecting the Foster School’s connection to the northwest and the local wood products industry.
Founders Hall, Foster School of Business
University of Washington
Location
Seattle, Washington
Owner
University of Washington
Design-Build Contractor: Hoffman Construction
Structural Engineering: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
MEP Engineering: PAE Consulting Engineers
Civil Engineering: Mayfly Engineering and Design
Landscape Architecture: Gustafson Guthrie Nichol
Lighting Design: Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design
Graphics/Signage: Studio Matthews
Environmental Graphics: Advent
Project Size
84,750 square feet
Project Status
Completed
Certifications
Certified LEED New Construction Gold
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Planning
Founders Hall, part of the Foster School of Business complex at the University of Washington, significantly increases the school’s capacity and strengthens its connection to historic Denny Yard. As the campus’s first fully mass timber building, it meets UW Green Building Standards and reduces carbon emissions by more than 90%.
The design features three intersecting volumes that house student collaboration spaces, administrative offices, lecture halls, and gathering areas, all linked by a striking five-story steel and wood staircase. The “community connector” includes circulation spaces and two tiered classrooms, while the “team bar” offers abundant team and conference rooms plus a rooftop event forum. A distinctive brick façade with strategic glazing reveals the timber structure and frames views of the site’s Douglas firs, immersing upper floors in the surrounding northwest forest. Founders Hall embodies the collaborative spirit of modern business and sets a new standard for sustainable, inspiring academic environments.
Photography: Tim Griffith
“As a building, Founders Hall has seamlessly woven into the welcoming and inclusive community we have worked hard to create in all of our buildings at the Foster School. It also significantly amplifies our deep commitment to addressing the climate challenges we face today as well as honors the Native land on which the building rests.”
– Frank Hodge, Orin & Janet Smith Dean, Foster School of Business
Selected Awards
2025 WAN Awards, Gold Award
2025 AIA COTE Top Ten Award
2024 U.S. WoodWorks Wood Design Award for Wood in Architecture
2024 AIA Seattle Honor Awards, Energy in Design Award
2023 AIA National Education Facility Design Award
2023 Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards, Honorable Mention, Learning Category
2023 Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards, Honorable Mention, Spaces and Places Category
2023 Prix Versailles, World Selection
2023 Chicago Athenaeum, American Architecture Award, Honorable Mention
2022 NWCCC, Distinguished Project Award for Public Projects Over $10MM
2022 NWCCC, Award for Innovation & Achievement in Sustainability
