CollinsWoerman Designs Innovative Student Housing Project at Bastyr University

Sustainable, green design reflects mission of Northwest natural health arts and sciences university

SEATTLE (June 22, 2010) — What if a university could reflect its mission and values in its student housing? That’s the accomplishment embodied in a new student living environment for Bastyr University, the nation’s leading natural health arts and sciences university. The 132-student residential village designed by CollinsWoerman, Seattle’s emerging leader in sustainable architecture, design and planning, for Bastyr University, opens this month.

Bastyr’s student housing village reflects the school’s integrated approach to the natural health arts and sciences. Not only was the design process highly interactive and collaborative, involving both students and faculty, the village creates an interactive atmosphere specially tailored for the older, independent students that attend the school.

“This project is all about understanding the distinctive priorities of this University and creating an environment that delivers comfortable living space for students, while reflecting the values, approach and mission of the school,” said Arlan Collins, principal-in-charge of the project.

The non-traditional student village consists of eleven three-story cottages, each approximately 4,600 square feet. Each unit features a separate bedroom and bath for twelve students, as well as a communal living area consisting of a living room/kitchen great room, a separate dining area that can also be used for quiet study, as well as laundry facilities.

Studies show that groups of 12 or fewer people are the ideal size to create intellectual energy and optimum dynamics, according to Collins. The arrangement of the cottages around outdoor courtyards, connected by walkways lined with drought-tolerant and native landscaping, as well as kitchen garden areas for growing herbs, encourages broader interaction among the 132 students housed on-site.

The village minimizes impact to the environment, fitting into the 51-acre campus’ pristine natural setting in Kenmore, Wash., just outside of Seattle. Special care was taken to leave nearby wooded areas and wetlands undisturbed before and during construction.

"Part of Bastyr University’s role as a leader in natural health arts and sciences education is to encourage and enable our students to live sustainably," Bastyr University President Daniel K. Church, PhD said. "Providing students with eco-friendly, on-campus housing is a significant milestone in furthering our mission to enhance the health and well-being of the human community."

The buildings incorporate a host of green elements designed to save energy, the most significant of which is the elimination of unnecessary space, according to Collins. Corridors, multiple stairwells, and elevators are not needed in the free-standing structures, which Collins describes as “scaled to deliver everything we want and none of what we don’t want.”

“Sustainability is about using less energy and fewer materials,” explains Collins. “When you delete 15 percent of the gross area of a building – it doesn’t get any more sustainable than that.”

Traditional green features include radiant floor heating, ultra high efficiency gas boilers and water heaters, heat-recovery, whole house natural ventilation, high r-value insulation, and high efficiency lighting systems with daylight controls. Low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy star-rated appliances and light fixtures are used throughout. Interior materials are 100 percent no- or low-VOC, as Bastyr students and faculty, by virtue of their training and mindset, are especially aware of the impact of air quality and indoor pollutants.

A sustainable water system that captures rainwater from the cottages’ “butterfly roofs” drains to an Olympic-sized swimming pool reservoir beneath a nearby parking lot. The roofs have been design to support vegetation in the future.

The smaller living units proved less costly to build than a traditional dorm, and will be less costly to operate. In fact, the University experienced significant cost savings through the value engineering process that CollinsWoerman and contractor Schuchart utilized, according to CollinsWoerman project manager John Aldredge.

“We went through four rounds of budgeting to get the absolute best cost savings for the University,” said Aldredge, “By working closely together we were able to achieve significant efficiencies, and we benefited from both economies of scale and repetition.”

“Schuchart not only achieved a 98 percent rate on recycling construction debris,” he added, “they made product suggestions that resulted in better – and sometimes greener – results. The construction crew grew more efficient with each cottage.”

Construction costs totaled $12 million of the $16.5 million project overall.

The CollinsWoerman design team included Pat Logan, John Aldredge, Sarah Reisenauer and Brian Walters.

About CollinsWoerman

Established in 1988 and located in Seattle, Washington, CollinsWoerman is a collaborative architecture, design and planning firm providing integrated, sustainable solutions that contribute to a greater social good. The award-winning firm plans and designs for a wide variety of project types, including healthcare, mixed-use, commercial and retail developments, sustainable communities, science and technology facilities and corporate interiors. www.collinswoerman.com

About Bastyr University

Bastyr University, located north of Seattle, Washington, is an accredited institution, internationally recognized as a pioneer in natural medicine. Bastyr is the largest university for natural health arts and sciences in the U.S., combining a multidisciplinary curriculum with leading-edge research and clinical training to educate future leaders in fields such as naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and Oriental medicine, and whole food nutrition. Founded in 1978 at the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr University now offers more than 15 accredited degree and certificate programs. Bastyr was the nation’s first natural health arts and sciences university to receive funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Bastyr University Research Institute plays a key role in the growth of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research. www.bastyr.edu or www.bastyrcenter.org