Husky basketball inclusive-equitable facility

Article posted by Coliseum, March 8^th, 2024

Image: University of Washington

The University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, US, with partners Mortenson and Gensler, will break ground on its new high-performance basketball center this June.

‘University of Washington’ stated that the $60 million project is fully donor-funded, with over $1 million coming from the Husky basketball legends and alumni. The training facility is expected to be completed in August of 2025.

The University of Washington is a public research university in Seattle, Washington (US). Founded in 1861, approximately a decade after the founding of Seattle, The University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the United States.

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Mortenson is a US-based, top-20 builder, developer and engineering services provider serving the commercial, institutional and energy sectors. Mortenson’s expanding portfolio of integrated services helps its customers move their strategies forward, ensuring their investments result in high-performing assets. The result is a turnkey partner fully invested in its customers’ business success. Since establishing operations in Seattle over 40 years ago, Mortenson continues to lead and build complex, forward-thinking facilities in the Pacific Northwest.

Mortenson’s core commitments ensure that the built environment has a lasting positive impact on the people, their communities and the planet.

San Francisco (US)-based Gensler is a global architecture, design and planning firm with 53 locations and 6,000+ professionals networked across the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. Founded in 1965, the firm works globally with more than 3,500 clients across 33 practice areas spanning the work, lifestyle, Cities, and health sectors.

Gensler is guided by its mission to create a better world through the power of design, and the source of its strength is its people. By leveraging its diversity of ideas, its research and innovation, its shared values, and Gensler’s One-Firm Firm culture, the design firm is working seamlessly as a borderless firm in more than 100 countries and making the greatest impact on the communities as they continue to tackle the world’s challenges.

Steve Chung, Design Principal, Gensler, US, is a Member of Coliseum – Global Sports Venue Alliance.

The Washington Huskies men’s basketball team represents the University of Washington in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (the highest level of intercollegiate athletics) college basketball competing in the Pac-12 Conference. They play their home games at the Hec Edmundson Pavilion, located in Seattle (US), and they are currently led by Head Coach Mike Hopkins.

The 10,000-capacity Alaska Airlines Arena at the Hec Edmundson Pavilion is an indoor arena in the Northwest United States, on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. It serves as home to several of the university’s sports teams, known as the Washington Huskies of the Pac-12 Conference.

Indianapolis (US)-based the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and one in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and helps over 500,000 college student-athletes who compete annually in college sports.

San Francisco (US)-based the Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic Conference that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of college football in the United States.

Enthused Troy Dannen, Director of Athletics, University of Washington, “We are thrilled to break ground on this transformational project. Investment in Husky basketball is critical to enabling our future competitive success as we enter the Big Ten, and we are grateful our donors share this belief and stepped forward in such a remarkable way. This facility will provide a dedicated space for both our men’s and women’s programs while enhancing the athletic footprint for all University of Washington student-athletes.”

The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic Conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1896, it predates the founding of its regulating organization, the NCAA. It is based in the Chicago area in Rosemont, Illinois.

‘University of Washington’ further stated that the facility will enhance training and development opportunities for basketball student-athletes by creating equitable spaces for each program. The equity-centric focus of the project is emphasized through the creation of two 9,800 square-foot practice courts, available 24 hours per day to the basketball student-athletes.

The new home for Husky basketball will include an incredible skywalk viewing area above the courts for recruits, fans and families to watch practices, and a welcoming foyer that will highlight legendary moments and players from the programs’ history.

Exulted Jennifer Kim, Project Executive, Mortenson, “Mortenson is excited to contribute to yet another innovative space at The University of Washington. We see this forward-thinking facility as a way to elevate the holistic wellness of the athletes, enhancing their overall experience and setting a new standard for excellence at the intersection of sports, well-being and equity.”

The building will also provide new internal connections between the floor level of the Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion and the Graves Annex Strength and Conditioning space (a basketball practice facility at the University of Washington), which will better serve all the student-athletes.

Concluded Kristin Jensen, Principal and Managing Director, Gensler Seattle, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with The University of Washington Athletics on the activation of such an exciting project. This new facility promises to enrich the experience of both the women’s and men’s basketball programs – providing an inclusive and equitable environment. We foresee the positive impact of this transformation extending across the greater campus and community and are proud to play a role in bringing the vision to life.”

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