Structure Type: built works - dwellings - housing - student housing
Designers: Mahlum Architects, Incorporated (firm); Walsh Construction Company (firm); Edward Kristian Mahlum (architect); David Swenson (architect); Robert Walsh (building contractor); Thomas Walsh (building contractor)
Dates: constructed 2010-2011
7 stories
Poplar Hall was built on vacant land neighboring the Playhouse Theatre and UW Employment Office. It contained 270 rooms on 7 floors. Each room was a double-occupancy room with a shared bath. Poplar was one of four new dormitories built following the economic collapse of 2008. These dormitories were expected to provide a new revenue stream that could replace a sharp cut in State of Washington funds. In 2012, quarterly costs for rooms here were $2,664-$3,200. It was planned to accommodate the Honors and Sustainable Living "Learning Communities."
Cedar Hall was the first building completed in a $160 million first phase of West Campus dormitory construction going on in 2010-2012. Cedar was the first finished (07/2011), followed a month later by Poplar Hall (270 beds), Elm Hall (430 beds, finished 07/2012) and Alder Hall (600 beds, completed 07/2012). Mahlum Architects designed this ensemble, giving each building similar cubic forms, white-trimmed, randomly-arrayed fenestrations and grey brick sheathing. All but Elm Hall, shaped around a mature elm on the site, had zero-lot-line placements. All buildings rested on post-tensioned concrete slabs with four or five floors of wood-framed dorm rooms stacked above. First floors were trimmed in glass and cor-ten steel providing added interest at the pedestrian level. W.G. Clark Construction built Cedar and Elm Halls, while Walsh Construction had the contracts for Poplar and Alder Halls.
PCAD id: 17792