Mercer Court: A Modern Housing Complex at the University of Washington
Mercer Court is a five-building dormitory complex at the University of Washington (UW) that replaced the former Mercer Hall in 2013. It provides modern, apartment-style student housing with numerous amenities and a focus on community building.
The Need for Modernization
Many of the University of Washington’s on-campus student housing structures were decades old and in need of revitalization. This update was vital for accommodating a growing student population and enhancing academic success. Mercer Court became a key component of this initiative, introducing new beds to a previously underutilized site at the campus's southwestern edge.
From Mercer Hall to Mercer Court
The original Mercer Hall, designed by architect Royal McClure, was erected in 1970. After considerable research, the University determined that complete demolition and new construction would be the most cost-effective solution rather than a substantial renovation of the existing Mercer Hall. Construction on Mercer Court began around August 8, 2011, and was completed by August 6, 2013, just before the start of UW's Fall Quarter 2013.
Design and Construction
The Seattle office of Portland-based Ankrom Moisan Architects and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios of London, UK, produced the design for Mercer Court. W.G. Clark was the Building Contractor for Mercer Court. Walsh Construction also served as a Building Contractor. The UW Capital Projects Office provided the following description of Mercer Court: the demolition of Mercer Hall and the construction of new student-focused apartments. The project consists of five buildings constructed with five floors of wood frame construction, located on two floors of concrete construction. Below the facilities is a garage consisting of parking spaces. The project was completed and ready for occupancy in August 2013.
W.G. Clark provided extensive preconstruction services for the project, which the University and its design team planned for a strong community flavor that promotes student interaction and connection through its large shared living spaces and the project’s many appealing amenities. The University was eager to have the project schedule accelerated.
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Key Features and Amenities
Mercer Court features spacious apartment-style student housing units with fully equipped kitchens and a combination of private and semi-private bathrooms. The complex offers a mix of housing options, including:
- Four-bedroom/two-bathroom apartments
- Six-bedroom/six-bathroom apartments
- Studio apartments
- Two-bedroom/one-bedroom apartments
In addition to the living spaces, Mercer Court sports several large common areas, views of Portage Bay, music-practice rooms, a coffee roaster, and a café. The units are designed around elevator cores that connect the end portions of the buildings vertically, offering access to a rooftop terrace, ground-floor exterior arcade, and a student-run farm.
Sustainable Design
The design team turned the challenge of a large excavation into an opportunity by constructing the largest stormwater cistern on a university campus, capturing rainwater for reuse in the laundry facility and saving an estimated 627,000 gallons of potable water annually. Mercer Court has achieved LEED Gold certification.
A Focus on Community
Mercer Court was designed to create a vibrant, community-focused environment. The layout celebrates bay views and maximizes natural light, with outward-flaring windows providing many rooms glimpses of the water. The design resembles an open hand, with four “fingers” extending toward the bay and a central plaza serving as a gathering space for events and a farmers’ market featuring produce from the site’s urban farm.
Architectural Inspiration
Mercer Court’s architecture draws inspiration from its waterfront setting, with dark earth-tone clinker brick and large-scale metal cladding reflecting the ripples of the bay. Stacked and staggered massing mirrors the surrounding hills, creating a seamless transition between land and water.
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Location
Mercer Court is located at 3925 Adams Lane NE on the University of Washington Campus in Seattle, WA 98105.
Project Details
- Size: 468,240 SF
- Beds: 1,350
- Apartment Style Units
- Community lounge
- Group study areas
- Café
- Music practice rooms
- Sky lounges
- Rooftop terraces
- Farm plot
- Market
- AGC Build Washington Award
- LEED Gold
- Publicly funded
Overcoming Challenges
Design time was critical with such a large project, and so was the schedule. Complex bid documents were produced in successive stages, allowing work to bid and begin while design continued, even splitting single scopes into multiple contracts. This allowed design to continue after construction began, relieving pressure on the design team while still meeting the owner’s occupancy schedule.
Careful evaluation of soils reports allowed for the development of cost-effective recommendations for excavation and sitework that saved over on this portion of the work. Late in the design process, it was possible to rework the construction schedule to provide additional months of design time. This allowed well-coordinated MEP documents to be issued for bidding without delaying the project completion date.
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