Team that designed University of Washington Tacoma Y Student Center wins national award

The team that designed and built the University of Washington Tacoma’s Y Student Center in downtown Tacoma has won an industry award for its work.

Tacoma-based McGranahan Architects and the regional office of Mortenson Construction won a 2015 National Award of Merit from the Design-Build Institute of America, according to a news release.

For 20 years the institute’s awards program has recognized project teams that show the best practices in the design-build method across nine categories, according to the release. Design-build is an approach to construction where an architect and a construction firm work under a single contract.

The Y Student Center, 1710 Market St., opened in January. The $20 million project was jointly developed by the UWT and the YMCA of Pierce & Kitsap Counties. It utilized salvaged wood from the Longshoremen’s Hall that was demolished on the site. The design also was adjusted to include a larger climbing wall after students requested it, the release said.

This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Team that designed University of Washington Tacoma Y Student Center wins national award."