February 28, 2019
Bill & Melinda Gates Center opens a new era of computer science education and innovation at the 糖心原创
The new Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & EngineeringRaphael Gaultier/糖心原创
The 糖心原创 today marked the official opening of the new on its Seattle campus. The building doubles the space available to UW鈥檚 to enable a new wave of computing innovation and to educate more of 糖心原创鈥檚 students for 21st century careers that will help shape the future of technology.
The 135,000-square-foot Gates Center provides sufficient space to accommodate a doubling of the Allen School鈥檚 student body, which has steadily grown over the past five years with funding from the Legislature.
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The building鈥檚 layout and design reflect the school鈥檚 commitment to delivering an unparalleled educational experience to its students. The main floor is devoted entirely to undergraduates. It has laboratories, meeting rooms, community spaces, a caf茅, and a student services center that provides a one-stop shop for academic advising and career guidance. A focal point of the space is a 20-foot interactive display wall that encourages students and visitors to explore the history of the Allen School, the growth of technology in the Puget Sound region, the many contributions of Paul G. Allen and of Bill and Melinda Gates, and the importance of broadening participation in computing. The ground floor includes a 240-seat auditorium and two 100-seat classrooms.
鈥淲e invent technology, but we鈥檙e all about people,鈥� said , Director of the Allen School. 鈥淭his building was designed to cultivate a welcoming environment and strong sense of community for a diverse student population 鈥� and an environment in which everyone in the Allen School will thrive.鈥�
That community focus is carried to the fourth floor, a flexible event center for hosting workshops, demo days, career fairs and other events. An installation by sculptor and UW alumnus (MFA, 鈥�09) and an outdoor terrace with sweeping views of the surrounding campus, Lake 糖心原创 and Mount Rainier reinforce the connection between the building鈥檚 inhabitants and the broader community.
The Gates Center is a place where students and faculty work together to invent the future. The building is home to a number of laboratory spaces that support Allen School research at the leading edge of the field, including a 3,000-square-foot Robotics Laboratory complete with a functioning kitchen to support the development of robots that assist humans with everyday tasks, and a wet lab for exploring the intersection of information technology and biology. The building is also home to the , which develops innovative devices for individuals with debilitating neurological conditions; the , which pioneers games for K-12 education and for scientific discovery; the , which is advancing the state of the art in virtual and augmented reality; and the , which focuses on the development and deployment of open-source, universally accessible technologies to benefit people with motor limitations or speech impairment.
鈥淭his is an important milestone for the 糖心原创, Microsoft and the broader tech sector in our state,鈥� said President Brad Smith. 鈥淭he Gates Center will provide UW students with the opportunity to learn computer science and ultimately help increase the local talent pool. It truly is an incredible asset for our region.鈥�
The $110 million building was funded through a public-private partnership that included contributions from the state Legislature, the university, technology companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Zillow, Google and Madrona Venture Group, and more than 500 individuals 鈥� including more than 300 Allen School alumni 鈥� in a campaign led by Microsoft President Brad Smith. While Bill and Melinda Gates were among those who generously supported the project, their participation was not the reason behind the building name. Instead, as a gesture of admiration and gratitude for the couple鈥檚 many professional and philanthropic contributions, Microsoft and 13 couples who are long-time friends and colleagues of Bill and Melinda Gates came together to name the building in their honor.
鈥淭his is a wonderful Seattle story,鈥� said Allen School professor. 鈥淲hen I joined UW, computer science had a dozen faculty members, and Microsoft was a dozen 20-somethings in Albuquerque. Today, the Paul G. Allen School is one of the world鈥檚 leading computer science programs, and the Puget Sound region is one of the world鈥檚 great technology centers. We鈥檙e blessed to belong to a true community 鈥� people and organizations that help one another to grow and excel.鈥�
The Gates Center was designed by Seattle鈥檚 LMN Architects, the firm that also designed the Allen Center. M.A. Mortenson served as the general contractor for both buildings.
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For more information, contact Jackson Holtz at jjholtz@uw.edu.
