February 26, 2001

Lowry Wyatt Hall

Photos by Ross Mulhausen/UPS

The $14 million Lowry Wyatt Hall at the University of Puget Sound opened for class this school year. The 50,000-square-foot building at the southeastern end of the university's Tacoma campus is the first academic building constructed there since 1967.

The three-floor hall features 17 state-of-the-art classrooms, 78 faculty offices and many spaces outside classrooms to encourage interaction between students and faculty. The smaller classrooms seat 20-30 students while the largest, which is capable of multimedia presentations, holds about 50.

Architect Zimmer Gunsul Frasca designed the building to match the existing campus' collegiate Gothic style, with red brick and steep-sloped roofs.

The L-shaped building was also designed with an 8.1 seismic rating. In an earthquake, the structure will act like two separate buildings, due to a seismic joint where the two wings come together. It also is built on 235 geo-piers, which help absorb ground shock.

Sellen Construction was the general contractor and Heery International managed the project for the university. The design team included: Chalker Putnam Collins & Scott, structural engineer; Sazan Group, mechanical engineer; Wood Harbinger and Engineering Electrical Systems, electrical engineers; KPFF Consulting Engineers, civil engineer; Nakano Associates, landscape design; and Lumena Lighting Design, lighting consultant. Major subcontractors included: Fairweather Masonry Co., Feature Millwork, Stephens Enterprises (glass & glazing), Auburn Mechanical and Groff Electric.

Wyatt Hall is home to several university departments, including: Classics, English, Foreign Languages and Literature, Honors, History, Philosophy, Politics and Government and Religion.

The hall is named after former UPS chairman and trustee Lowry Wyatt.

Do you have photos of recent projects? Share them with DJC readers. Send high-resolution images and information to lisa.lannigan@djc.com.

Previous columns:

• Seattle Iron & Metals, 02-20-2001
• Livin' luxury in Bothell, 02-12-2001
• Swedish Southeast Wing Tower, 02-05-2001
• Fremont Fresh Market, 01-29-2001
• Lakeview Apartments, 01-22-2001
• Mary Gates Hall, 01-16-2001
• Gonzaga University School of Law, 01-08-2001
• The Production Network, 01-02-2001