UW Elm Hall

Elm Hall is a 174,154 SF resident housing facility that houses 442 students on the University of Washington campus. It includes double and triple rooms along with some studio apartments. Students enjoy many amenities, including a gourmet restaurant called "Cultivate," fitness centers, yoga studios, music rooms and media lounges. The grounds include extensive landscaping, focused around a 90-year old elm tree at the center of the site.

W.G. Clark provided extensive preconstruction services for the project, including constructability and material analysis, estimating, scheduling, LEED and sustainability analysis. One example of our input related to the window systems. The original plan for the system individualized the window openings, requiring costly framing and waterproofing. Starting with a strong respect for the design intent, the W.G. Clark team provided constructability analysis to simplify the final system making it efficient, unique, and cost effective for the University. The team worked collaboratively with designers, subcontractors, and the manufacturer to develop a solution that achieved the designers’ vision at a reasonable cost. Creative thinking and collaboration saved time and money for Elm Hall and ultimately was implemented in other UW housing buildings built by other contractors.

W.G. Clark developed and thoroughly reviewed constructability opportunities, categorizing them by priority and impact on the project. Using 3D models, we were able to review multiple options, mindful of their impact on the overall constructability of major systems, system and project cost, and schedule. The use of technology enabled the team to quickly find innovative solutions to constructability challenges within a much shorter time and avoid unanticipated impacts to other systems. Our experienced in-house carpenters applied their years of field knowledge to new technology and created 3D models to synchronize their work process with the rest of construction.