University of Washington Lander Hall

The Heart of West Campus

University of Washington Lander Hall

Seattle, WA

Celebrating Student Life

Transparency at the street level and corner lounges of this mixed-use residence hall celebrate student activity and animate the pedestrian experience. Views through expansive windows invite students and the public into the five-venue dining center and student resource desk for the burgeoning West Campus.

Cultivating Community

From two-story lounges that unite floors, to the Chef’s Table and central courtyard, Lander Hall features a diverse collection of gathering spaces that catalyze individual and community development – essential to the identity and academic success of first-year students.

Integrating Campus and City

Lander Hall is one of three residence halls designed by Mithun to replace two mid-century residential towers that blocked vehicular and pedestrian flow across the neighborhood. This reintroduction of the city grid with distributed amenities creates street-level mixing between buildings and a renewed sense of place at the intersection of campus and city.

Client

University of Washington

Overview

Amenity-rich, urban living for undergraduates, with dining and student services to serve the 5,000-student neighborhood

Program

650 student beds in double rooms, dining hall with chef’s table and five distinct seating areas, student services Resource Desk, lounges and study rooms, exterior courtyard

Size

242,070 sf; 1.34 acres

Sustainable Metrics

LEED Gold, Certified

Completion Date

2013

Services

Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Awards

Associated General Contractors of Washington Build Washington Awards, Construction Excellence Award, 2015

AIA Washington Civic Design Awards, Merit Award, 2014

Lander Hall’s northeast corner provides a welcoming entry to dining center and student services. The transparent 6 ground level, and stacked two-story social lounges above, activate the streetscape and celebrate student life.

Northeast main entry to Lander's regional desk with double height student lounges above.

Lander Regional Desk is a student services resource for all in the West Campus precinct.

Through the cascading entry from Campus Parkway, students are greeted by Local Point dining and its social lounge space for meals and community conversations.

Computer kiosks located right outside the student services office may be used to access the student network.

Serving stations at Lander Hall are included as part of the University of Washington’s marché dining experience, while a chef’s table provides a multipurpose teaching and training classroom.

A double-height social lounge at the northeast corner creates a unique public space for the West Campus community to gather while individual student rooms provide private space for quiet study.

The south-facing sun perch within the student courtyard serves as a private outdoor space for residents that, along with a variety of lounge spaces on each floor, create a sense of community.

A consistent, wide understory creates a canvas for a mix of street tree species, reflecting the adjacent tree scape of the neighborhood and providing much needed resilience to the tree canopy.

Amenities were distributed at street level—creating mixing zones between buildings. The addition of street furnishings renewed a sense of place along the street.

The Heart of West Campus

University of Washington Lander Hall