Delivering an Award‑Winning Light Rail Station, Six Months Ahead of Schedule
U250 UW Station
Hoffman delivered this multilevel underground light rail station on the congested UW campus, adjacent to the busy Burke-Gilman trail.
It has access via a ground level entrance and a pedestrian bridge connecting to the campus. The project required performing underground concrete work, coordinating with systems, track, and other contractors and public entities, working with community stakeholders, complex sequencing, detailed commissioning strategies, and working in an urban area with many vehicles, people, and events. The team developed a modified top-down construction approach that improved sequencing, reduced costs, and enhanced safety.
Challenge
How did detailed phasing and planning ensure safety and no disruption on the UW campus while building a complex underground light rail station?
Solution
Constant communication with the UW staff ensured that phasing worked with campus and stadium operations. Clear signage and maps kept students safe around the construction area.
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2021 National Honor Award For Architecture — AIA
2018 National Honor Award, Interior Architecture — AIA
2018 Transport Award — WAN
2017 American Architecture Award, Airports and Transportation Centers — American Architecture Awards
2017 Popular Choice Winner, Architecture + Glass — Architizer
2017 Architecture Award — Chicago Athenaeum/Europe International Award Program
2016 Innovation by Design Awards, Honorable Mention — Fast Company
2016 Infrastructure Awards, Finalist — World Architecture News
2016 Award of Merit — AIA Seattle
2016 Civic Design Awards, Honorable Mention — AIA Washington Council
2016 Design Excellence Award — City of Seattle Design Commission
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Unique Urban Gateway
Metal Construction News — October 1, 2018UW Station Wins National AIA Honor Award
Curbed Seattle — January 17, 2018
Project Overview
Building a Bridge from the Station to Campus Over One of Seattle’s Busiest Streets
The project’s pedestrian bridge connecting the station to the campus is a cast-in-place, post-tensioned radiused structure spanning four lanes of Montlake Blvd., one of the busiest streets in Seattle. It is 20-feet wide and features a ramp for bikes. To construct the bridge safely with minimum impact to traffic on Montlake, we built shoring towers with a temporary work deck that was used to form and pour the bridge. The temporary work deck was prefabricated to minimize shutdown and erection time.
Hoffman's Get Us There Safe Program
Safety is the central value of Hoffman’s culture, permeating every level of our organization. We believe construction injuries are preventable through planning, training, teamwork, and individual vigilance. Our Get Us There Safe campaign serves as a daily reminder to get everyone who touches our projects home safely.
