University of Washington, Mechanical Engineering Building, Nuclear Reactor Wing, 3785 Jefferson Road Northeast, Seattle, King County, WA

Significance: The small-scale Brutalist-style building is significant for its collaborative design team, and demonstration of the possibilities of exposed concrete construction. The form of the building also demonstrates its use for independent research and teaching, thus illustrating in built form the highest mandate of the University of Washington. This site was chosen for its proximity to the cluster of academic engineering buildings, and to promote the apparent safety of nuclear energy through its transparency and location on campus rather than at a remote facility.
Survey number: HABS WA-275-A
Building/structure dates: 1960-1961 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1973 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1978 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1999 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1990 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1993 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 08001158