A Passion for Student Housing
View from Mithun’s office, Pier 56 | Seattle, Washington
About Mithun Architecture Interior Design Planning Urban Design Landscape Architecture Sustainable Strategies Visioning
Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses planning, urban design, landscape architecture, architecture and interior design services—a multidisciplinary approach that unites human and natural systems within the built environment. With offices in Seattle and San Francisco and a staff of more than 100, our work includes civic and cultural facilities and landscapes, public open space, transit-oriented, mixeduse and multi-family developments, corporate offices, commercial and institutional spaces, designed with a focus on health, connectivity and high performance. Mithun was recently recognized by Architect Magazine and tied for number one on their Architect 50 list for Top Ten Sustainable Firms.
University of Washington, Nordheim Court | Seattle, Washington
A Complete Vision Mithun designs buildings and campuses that integrate with habitat strategies and support larger natural systems while encouraging people to live well. We investigate all aspects of a campus and match processes and solutions to the institution’s resources, vision and mission.
Our solutions are appropriate to the site in all of its aspects—natural forces, ecology, habitat, topology, hydrology, social/ cultural, mobility, scale and form, and urban adjacencies. In every case, our work promotes quality, health, comfort and economic potential.
The New Residence Hall Today’s residential halls are a progressive reflection of students’ values toward a more sustainable community. Expanding beyond the boundaries of traditional dorms, classrooms and dining halls, these buildings support the holistic academic and social development of students—and also provide a positive financial benefit to institutions and developers.
Washington State University , Olympia Avenue | Pullman, Washington
Washington State University, Olympia Avenue | Pullman, Washington
University of Washington Tacoma Court 17 | Tacoma, Washington
Student Housing Expertise With housing projects on more than 20 campuses nationwide, Mithun is a leader in residential environments that cultivate community and create highly desirable, attractive places. Our experience ranges from small residence hall remodels and student family housing neighborhoods to new residential campuses. National organizations and publications have consistently recognized Mithun for programmatic and aesthetic excellence.
Auraria Higher Education Center Planning, Denver, CO
Saint Martin’s University Parsons, Spangler and Burton Halls, Lacey, WA
Central Washington University Housing Siting Study, Ellensburg, WA
Seattle Pacific University Emerson Hall, Irondale Student Housing, and Wesley Apartments Seattle, WA
Concordia University East Hall and Elizabeth Hall, Portland, OR Dartmouth College Grasse Road Housing, Hanover, NH Eastern Washington University Student Housing Study, Cheney, WA Edmonds Community College Student Housing, Edmonds, WA
Seattle University Student Housing Master Plan, Seattle, WA University of California, Davis West Village Student Housing Plan, Davis, CA University of Montana Student Housing, Missoula, MT
Green River Community College Student Housing, Seattle, WA
University of Washington Haggett Hall Upgrades, Mercer Hall Renovation, Nordheim Court, Radford Court, Stevens Court, and Terry Lander Residence Hall, Seattle, WA
Northwest Indian College Student Housing Prototype, Bellingham, WA
University of Washington Tacoma Court 17, Tacoma, WA
Pacific Lutheran University South Hall, Tacoma, WA
Washington State University Student Housing Precinct Study and Olympia Avenue, Pullman, WA
Pacific University Vandervelden Hall, Forest Grove, OR
Western Washington University Buchanan Towers Addition, Bellingham, WA
Portland State University Student Housing Predesign and Stephen Epler Hall, Portland, OR
University of Washington, Nordheim Court Seattle, Washington Nordheim Court provides independent living alternatives for undergraduates and includes four-bedroom townhouses over apartments, gathering spaces, and underground parking. Located a half-mile from campus, the design takes advantage of an existing pond, southern exposure and access to a pedestrian and bicycle trail.
Washington State University Olympia Avenue Student Housing Pullman, Washington The first new student housing development on the Pullman campus since 1972, the new facility integrates innovative sustainable strategies including storm-water rain gardens, heating and cooling pumps using geothermal wells, sun shading devices that mitigate heat build up on the south and west facades, natural daylighting, environmentally responsible building products, and indoor air strategies.
Portland State University Stephen Epler Hall足 Portland, Oregon Part of a larger mixed-use building which includes student housing and university storage, this LEED速 Silver building features natural ventilation that replaces air-conditioning, recaptured exhaust air that helps heat in the cool months, and stormwater filter and detention systems for water reused to flush toilets and irrigate the landscape.
University of Washington, Lander Hall Seattle, Washington Lander Hall reintroduces 12th Avenue to the street grid as a pedestrian-only street. With a plaza opening off the building’s central dining facility, oversized glazed doors open to bring the outdoors inside.
University of Washington, Terry Hall and Maple Hall Seattle, Washington Terry and Maple Halls create a distinct student life environment for more than 1,100 undergraduate students, and include amenity spaces that will attract some of the 5,000 students who live within the West Campus neighborhood of the University of Washington. Terry Hall will house the headquarters for the UW Housing and Food Services Offices and will also include a distinct lobby. In the podium of Maple Hall is a recreation center, a group collaborative project center, an art studio and technology lounge. The overall conceptual approach celebrates the natural forces of the building by using day lighting and natural ventilation strategies as a way to derive both its window vocabulary and its landscape architectural response. Thus, the building’s “personality” and expression responds to the environment within each façade and the interior courtyards create a wonderful “live to learn” student experience.
Western Washington University, Buchanan Towers Bellingham, Washington The renovation and addition to Buchanan Towers houses 100 students arranged in a series of four- and five-bedroom “pods,� each designed with three sides open to light and air to enhance natural ventilation.
Chatham University Eden Hall Campus Richland Township, Pennsylvania Located on a century old farm, this project is the first university campus planned for sustainability from the ground up. New Net-Zero Energy buildings, including two residence halls and a field laboratory for aquaculture, will help define the future main campus—home of the new School of Sustainability and the Environment. Buildings meet a combination of Living Building Challenge, Passive House, Net-Zero and LEED Platinum ratings. SITES is also a targeted certification.
University of Washington Lander Hall | Seattle, Washington
The residential dining hall is now also an opportunity to gather, slow down the food process and cultivate a love of food that supports healthy eating. At the University of Washington’s Lander Hall, visiting chefs, nutritional science curriculum and educational conferences will convene around a large chef’s table. Raised on a platform, this centerpiece will have a full kitchen, a large island and moveable walls. The dining hall takes cues from popular coffee shops with space that is fully utilized and activated—open and available for study and gathering beyond meal times.
Dining Environments Mithun’s student housing dining facilities engage all of the senses in vibrant environments. Designed with careful consideration of the user experience, our projects perform in both plan and section with zones for entry, transition, “communing,” food preparation, food storage and service. Our in-house interior design group successfully integrates with our architects to create designs that are integrally connected to the building design in layout, location and functional aspects.
University of Washington Lander Hall | Seattle, Washington
Opposite Page: Portland State University, Stephen Epler Hall | Portland, Oregon Stephen Epler Hall at Portland State University (PSU), designed by Mithun, couples smart technology with climateresponsive design, taking advantage of all potential resources to assist the building’s operation: rainwater; sunlight; heat from waste sources, computers, and lights; and natural breezes. This greatly reduces reliance on mechanical and electrical systems while the building’s relationship to the natural environment creates a more pleasant living and working space.
Leadership in Sustainability Mithun is among the top recognized sustainable design firms in the nation—in 2011 we tied for top ranking in Architect Magazine’s list of Top Ten Sustainable Firms. We have practical experience with LEED and other cutting edge metrics, with 12 projects targeting the Living Building Challenge or Net-Zero Energy. We also have more than 70 LEED targeted, certified or registered projects.
Chatham University Eden Hall Campus | Richland Township, Pennsylvania
“Campuses that address the climate challenge by eliminating global warming emissions and by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society.� The Signatories of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment
21st Century Challenges With global energy issues, rising energy costs and diminishing funds affecting the means to care for aging infrastructures, campuses today are in a position to develop creative solutions. Institutes of higher learning that demonstrate the ability to move forward sustainably and attract new generations of climateconscious students will reap the benefits of increased efficiency and a reputation for innovation. Mithun helps institutions, corporations and communities to prepare for a carbon-constrained future. We set the bar for low environmental impact, high economic potential and adding significant value to property, the community and natural systems.
Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan Portland, Oregon The 35-block Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan completed for the Portland Development Commission is a visionary plan that guides the neighborhood’s future with low environmental impact and high economic potential while creating significant value for property owners, the community and the environment. It is a dramatic step forward for urban planning and a practical model for tackling some of the planet’s most difficult and pressing environmental challenges. As a template for the future, this sustainable model of healthy urban living stands to change the traditional paradigm of community planning and stewardship not only in Portland but throughout the world.
Green Infrastructure Campuses provide a unique opportunity to look beyond the building to infrastructure, taking advantage of strategies such as microutilities and district energy, heat exchange between campus buildings and holistic water management strategies.
Green infrastructure is typically distributed, small-scale, and includes built-in redundancies, making it less subject to outages, flood events and other catastrophic failures that plague large, centralized systems.
By capitalizing on natural synergies and efficiencies, green infrastructure outperforms conventional, single-purposed systems. Simpler in form and requiring less energy to operate and maintain, these systems pay for themselves and enhance a project’s longterm value.
Amenities provided by green infrastructure improve community health conditions and quality of life while meeting pressing functional needs for carbon sequestration, wastewater management and stormwater filtration.
Chatham University Field Lab | Richland Township, Pennsylvania
Experiential Places for Learning Our approach is tailored to the unique needs and characteristics of each institution to support the institution mission, promote excellence in education delivery, strengthen a sense of community and, when applicable, make the case for capital funding. In the end, our work demonstrates a passion to create innovative learning and research environments, sustainable campus strategies, and a high sense of quality and social responsibility.
Opposite Page: South Seattle Community College University Center | Seattle, Washington
High Performance Buildings Using the latest design and visualization technology, our designers rely on data to create beautiful high performance designs. We utilize modeling and simulations to test bioclimatic design responses and integrate daylighting, natural ventilation and other passive strategies into harmonious architectural solutions. Mithun brings advanced knowledge and grounded acumen to higher education institutions creating sustainable master plans that balance feasibility and vision. We create environments that are flexible, engaging and capable of adapting to changing needs.
Campus Sustainable and Master Planning Experience Mithun has become a nationally recognized leader in innovative educational planning and design, including master planning, sustainable master plans, new construction, renovations and additions for independent K-12 schools, universities, experiential learning environments across the country.
Seattle University Campus Major Institution and Sustainable Master Plans | Seattle, Washington
Pacific Lutheran University Campus and Sustainable Master Plans Pacific Lutheran University Main and South Campus Master Plans
Duke University Action Plans South Seattle Community College Master Plan Edmonds Community College Master Plan
Seattle University Campus Major Institution and Sustainable Master Plans
Bates Technical College Master Plan
The Ohio State Sustainable Master Plan
University of California Davis West Village
University of Virginia Campus Sustainability Consultant
Northwest Indian College Master Plan
Washington State University Precinct Master Plan
Portland EcoDistricts
Dartmouth College Grasse Road Phase III
Concordia University Master Plan
University of Washington Master Plan
IslandWood Master Plan and Facility Design
University of Washington Tacoma Campus Master Plan Update
Billings Middle School Master Plan
Central Washington University South and North Neighborhood Planning Studies University of Puget Sound Master Plan
Teton Science School Master Plan and Facility Design Northwest School Master Plan and Facility Design
Saint Martin’s University Master Plan
Walking Mountains Buck Creek Campus Facility Design
Clover Park Technical College Master Plan
Green Gulch Farm Master Plan
Duke University Master Plan
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center Master Plan
EcoDistricts Portland, Oregon Developed by Portland Sustainability Institute (PoSI), Mithun, the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and Portland State University, with peer review by the PoSI Technical Advisory Council, the EcoDistricts Assessment Methods provide a standard process for cities and neighborhoods to understand existing neighborhood performance, set targets and develop strategy recommendations in pursuit of district-wide sustainability.
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Top Left: Axonometric Diagram Bottom Right: Performance Areas Diagram
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University of Washington, Tacoma Master Plan Update and Infrastructure Master Plan Tacoma, Washington University of Washington Tacoma is in the process of transitioning to a four-year, full-service campus. The update to the 2003 Campus Master Plan reflects the addition of student housing and student life elements, including student center and outdoor recreation space.
University of Washington, Nordheim Court | Seattle, Washington
Ask any CFO—a corporate investment that obtains a minimum ROI of 14% is one that should immediately get placed in the portfolio. This is the return achieved by Epler Hall for the academic year of 2003/2004 based on resource costs for that year and as analyzed in 2005. However, when one considers the escalation of energy costs since the fall of 2004, it is clear that PSU’s return on its investment has gone higher. Even at the original lower rate, energy use at Epler Hall is approximately 49% less than code, with a 17% ROI.
Positive Payback Mithun has a distinctive portfolio of innovative precedents for financially viable projects across the country with work in Seattle, Denver, Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Portland. One of our strengths is our focus on economic analysis and development of innovative public/private partnerships and financing strategies. Student housing projects, usually owned by long-term investors, provide many opportunities to generate a positive payback. In student housing projects solely
supported by income generated from the rent to students, the “payback” criteria becomes a much more robust discussion when tight caps to overall construction cost are in place due to the rent structure. Complementary to our understanding of diverse financing structures, Mithun is adept at delivering projects through diverse methods including integrated project delivery (IPD), design/build (D/B) and negotiated construction contract (GMAX and GC/CM).
Auraria Redevelopment Denver, Colorado In collaboration with AR7 Architects, Mithun created a precinct master plan for the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and the University of Colorado at Denver. The three institutions will share facilities including a student center, classrooms, faculty and student housing and a large underground parking garage. The overall plan also includes retail, a light rail system and trolley streetcar that will connect to downtown Denver.
Realizing Projects with Partners The successful creation of public/private partnerships requires an understanding of financing, operations and the politics of redevelopment—the kind of integrated thinking for which Mithun is known. We have a distinctive portfolio of projects that have been delivered via public/private partnerships and/or design-build. These can be particularly effective methods for realizing student housing projects when capital dollars are limited.
Our expertise is rooted in a particularly deep understanding of the process and funding mechanisms that make these ventures successful. The key to ensuring successful completion of these projects is collaboration, communication and competency. Sharing a unified vision among all team members is our first step in the process; open communication and a steady focus on meeting goals as a team are other keys to efficient and smooth decision-making.
Design Excellence While each of our projects has a unique physical appearance, they each share common themes such as careful attention to user experience, honest expression of materials, and a seamless integration from landscape through architecture and interiors. Mithun’s multidisciplinary approach allows us to maintain equilibrium between beauty, performance, efficiency and cost. Rather than prioritizing one aspect of the design challenge or bringing preconceived ideas, we begin each new assignment with intensive research and by engaging clients. We are intent on listening, gathering information and understanding.
Large Technology Company Office Renovation | Silicon Valley, California
Research and Science Mithun’s design experts in science and technology, biotechnology and higher education create landmark designs within and across a mixture of project types. Our experience with university research clients includes programming, pre-design, design and renovation of laboratory spaces. We are passionate about creating places and spaces that strengthen community, respect global natural systems and elevate the human spirit.
University of California Irvine, Medical Education Building | Irvine, California
Northwest University Health and Science Center Kirkland, Washington
Northwest University’s Science Building holds the college’s growing nursing and science department with courses in the traditional and environmental sciences, and a food production program for developing countries. The facility includes wet and dry research laboratories as well as computer lab space. The building also houses a large lecture hall used frequently by the department and other organizations on campus and in the community. The building design works with existing trees and the site’s steep slope to maximize programmatic efficiency and potential views, and gracefully enhance the surrounding landscape. The building is located in the academic core of campus and will help form an important and much needed central open space for the campus community. +
Fairview Research Center Seattle, Washington The Fairview Research Center is seven-story life sciences facility located in the South Lake Union neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. The building is a cast-in-place concrete structure designed with the most demanding research environmental requirements in mind, and incorporates multiple green strategies to address storm water runoff and reduce energy demand. The building houses office space, laboratories and below-grade parking with space designed to be flexible to accommodate either a single occupant or multiple tenants. Mithun is currently designing a second phase to the project.
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Founded in 1949, Mithun is a national leader in planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture and interior design services—a multidisciplinary approach that unites human and natural systems within the built environment.