Advanced shared spaces for multicultural engagement.

The University of Washington’s School of Social Work Research Commons is a shared campus resource serving students and faculty with flexible workspaces for integrated teaching and learning. SHKS Architects worked with the UW to create an Inter-professional Education Classroom with a suite of new technologies, added two dedicated conference rooms, and improved the flexibility of the Research Commons’s open plan to serve the diverse needs of students and research groups including the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, Forefront Suicide Prevention Center of Excellence, and The Alliance for Professional Development, Training, and Caregiver Excellence. The project also provides a lactation room for nursing mothers, a wellness room for a diverse range of student needs, updated finishes, and improved lighting and thermal comfort.