Quad

The Liberal Arts Quadrangle is one of the most iconic spots on the UW campus. Each spring, visitors flock to the Quad to see the cherry trees in bloom.

Founders Hall

The newest facility for the Foster School of Business, Founders Hall is the first building on campus built with structural mass timber. You can see the wood beams throughout, which minimize the building's embedded carbon. Natural cooling and drought-resistant landscaping are a few of the other sustainability features.

Residence Halls

The new Madrona Hall, McCarty Hall and Willow Hall buildings incorporate many sustainability features. The residence halls include spaces for shared learning opportunities to foster community, and the landscaping around the buildings was created with pedestrians in mind. Willow Hall also houses the Center Table dining facility, which includes allergen-free and globally-inspired food stations.

wǝɫǝbʔaltxw Intellectual House

 wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House  is a longhouse-style facility on campus that serves as a multi-service learning and gathering space for Native American students, faculty and staff. The goal is to increase Native American students’ success at the university and prepare them for leadership roles in their tribal communities and the region.

UW Surplus store

 UW Surplus  takes all unwanted items from UW departments and works to reuse, repurpose or recycle these items. The surplus retail store is open to the public Tuesdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Drumheller Fountain

The fountain was originally built for the  Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition  in 1909, and is one of the most iconic sites on campus. From this spot, you can gaze down Rainier Vista to Mt. Rainier, a reminder of the connection between the university and the surrounding natural landscape. The fountain serves as a resting spot for waterfowl, and in the spring ducklings can often be spotted enjoying a swim.

Heron Haven

The student Society for Ecological Restoration has worked to remove invasive species and plant native varieties while also creating walking trails in this forested space, which serves as a nesting area for Great Blue Herons.

Medicinal Herb Garden

The  UW Medicinal Herb Garden  is home to about 1,000 plants from around the world, spread out across seven plots, and provides a relaxing escape from the surrounding campus. Although the Medicinal Herb Garden is now purely a display garden, the UW Pharmacy Department once used it for medicinal purposes and research. Today, at 2.5 acres, it’s one of largest public gardens of its kind, housing healing plants from just about every continent.

Life Sciences Building

This LEED Gold building includes innovative sustainable features such as reusing water to irrigate the greenhouse plants. The glass fins that shade the south side windows have  embedded solar cells  which generate electricity.

Burke-Gilman Trail

The Burke Gilman Trail was once the site of a major railway. Now, it’s both a recreational gem and an effective method of sustainable transportation to and from campus. Users use the trail to bike, walk, and connect to  public transportation , including the UW light rail station near Husky Stadium.

UW Light Rail Station

The underground University of Washington light rail station opened in 2016, giving the UW a fast and easy public transit connection to downtown, SeaTac airport and more. The UW station is one of the most-utilized stations in the Link Light Rail system.

Biodiversity Green Wall

Hanging on the east side of Gould Hall are two large green walls, featuring primarily native plants that provide habitat for birds and insects. The green wall utilizes recycled rain water and reduces building energy needs by capturing heat during the day and releasing it at night. The wall was funded through a  Campus Sustainability Fund grant .

District Market/Husky Grind

UW Housing & Food Services (HFS) is recognized as a national leader in sustainable dining, and emphasizes organic, local and fair-trade food on campus. District Market includes fresh produce and a full-service deli. Enjoy a cup of ethically sourced coffee at Husky Grind.

Local Point

This HFS campus dining location offers many different food options with sustainability in mind. Look for the plant-forward selections available at Tero, part of the “Menus of Change” initiative.

Mercer Court

These residence halls feature rooftop solar panels, as well as a cistern which stores and filters rainwater to provide water for laundry. The space between the buildings is used by the UW Farm to grow produce.

Sustainable Learning Space

This student-designed  garden space  features native plants, hand-crafted wood benches, nature-themed quotes, a bioswale and rain garden. Funded in part by a Campus Sustainability Fund grant, the space serves as an outdoor classroom and community space as well as a memorial to former Program on the Environment administrator Tikvah Weiner.

UW Farm

The  UW Farm  is a 1.5 acre student-powered urban vegetable market garden. The UW Farm’s mission is to be the campus center for the practice and study of urban agriculture and sustainability, and an educational, community-oriented resource for people who want to learn about building productive and sustainable urban landscapes. The farm has three locations on campus, with the largest being at the Center for Urban Horticulture.

Union Bay Natural Area

The 74-acre  Union Bay Natural Area  located at the Center for Urban Horticulture provides trails for running and walking with access to view the waters of Lake Washington and the many waterfowl that over-winter there. Yesler Swamp, located on the east side of the Union Bay Natural Area, offers a boardwalk loop that takes you to the edge of the lake and the site of the old Yesler Sawmill.

Yesler Swamp

This urban swamp features a fully handicapped-accessible boardwalk trail looping throughout the wetland, offering opportunities for birdwatching, exercise and a chance to experience nature in the heart of the city.

Intramural Activities Building

The IMA has  several sustainable features  that help conserve energy and water in the building. The IMA recently converted nearly all of its lighting to  energy-efficient LED bulbs , which not only require less electricity but also last longer than traditional bulbs. From the upper floor running track, you can see the roof-top solar array, one of the largest solar installations on campus.

Husky Stadium

During the stadium’s  2012 renovation , more than 95 percent of the construction waste was reused or recycled, and the construction used Salmon Safe practices to filter all wastewater. The slats behind the large W above the entrance gate are reused bleachers from the former stadium, and around the building you can spot native plants in the landscaping, which help filter rainwater runoff.

Waterfront Activities Center

Rent a kayak, canoe or rowboat to experience the Union Bay Natural Area’s wildlife and landscape, or paddle over to the nearby Washington Arboretum.  Learn more. 

Washington Park Arboretum

The  Washington Park Arboretum , administered by UW Botanic Gardens, is just a 1.2 mile walk from UW's Seattle campus. The Arboretum holds a world class collection of woody plants that can be explored independently, through self-guided tours, arranged tours, or through the many classes and activities hosted at the site. All year round you’ll find something of interest along the trails that wind through 230 acres of gardens, natural areas and wetlands.