Date Posted: 04.23.2022
The Seattle University Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation received an Award of Merit in the Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (WASLA) 2022 Professional Awards program.
The design jury complimented the project’s beautiful execution and “commendable effort in honoring Kubota’s intention.”
LIVING LEGACY AT SEATTLE UNIVERSITY: CREATING SPACE FOR GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS BY HONORING THE PAST
Located at a key campus gateway, Seattle University’s new Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation places science on display at a visible interface between the city and campus. The site design responds to this threshold position—between community and campus, dynamic and quiet, public and sheltered—by developing an active front terrace and a contemplative courtyard honoring the legacy of landscape designer Fujitarō Kubota.
Kubota is well-known for gardens throughout Seattle that merge Japanese tradition with Pacific Northwest native plants. His work with Seattle University in the 1950s and 60s established a series of gardens that would unify the grounds, knitting together the varied architectural styles of the emerging campus. Through the years, some of these gardens were lost in overgrowth, including at the site of the new Sinegal Center. The design team documented the site with special focus on what could be salvaged and designed a courtyard that repositions and highlights the legacy materials. The final design seeks to honor the Kubota legacy and create a living space for generations of new students to appreciate.
