Architect: LMN Architects
General Contractor: Mortenson Construction
Completion: Winter 2019
Products/Services Supplied:
- Oldcastle Building Envelope Reliance Curtain Wall
- Oldcastle Building Envelope TCR-250 Window Wall
- CRL/Blumcraft All-Glass Entrances
- Vitro Low-E Glazing by Northwestern Industries
The Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE II) effectively doubles the teaching space for the Paul G. Allen School at the University of Washington Seattle Campus. The new building not only provides more classroom spaces, but also adds a 240-seat auditorium and event space that allows for more student engagement and collaboration. CSE II will help the University to greatly expand their impact on Washington’s students in what continues to be one of the fastest-growing segments across nearly all businesses and industries in today’s evolving economy.
Mission Glass was relied upon heavily to deliver the complex glazing systems on time and within budget, which is difficult to do for just-in-time window facades. One key component in making this achievable was the ability of Mission Glass to utilize 3-D scanning equipment to verify the sloping & radiused structural elements of the building as soon as they were placed, but before the wall framing was constructed. Once these 3-D scans were brought into our modeling software we could ensure that our frames were fabricated with exacting tolerances to fit the unique geometry that carries throughout many of the building elevations.
The primary enclosure components provided by Mission Glass were Oldcastle Building Envelope’s Reliance TC & Cassette Curtain Wall systems and their ultra-thermal TCR-250 window wall for the punched window openings. Lining the interior were numerous all-glass walls and entrances provided by CRL/Blumcraft, which give the interior a high-end open concept compared to the traditional opaque walls that tend to close in the space and create separation and tends to impede collaboration. Northwestern Industries (NWI) was the glass fabricator for all of the glazing systems, inside and out.
This project adds to the list of structures we’ve had the pleasure of being a part of at the University of Washington campus. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for the development plan at the University, as well as what role Mission Glass can play in making that plan a reality.
