The University Cooperative School wins in the ‘Preserving Neighborhood Character’ category!

Historic Seattle’s Preservation Celebration is a highly anticipated annual event that celebrates outstanding preservationists and preservation projects while raising valuable funds to support Historic Seattle’s mission, saving meaningful places to foster lively communities. www.historicseattle.org

“The University Cooperative School (UCoop) is a progressive learning environment serving pre-K through 5th-grade students in Seattle’s North University District. The school inhabits the historic Maxwell Auto Garage, a 100-year-old landmark that embodies the character of the surrounding neighborhood.

Over the past decade, a series of carefully planned renovations were coordinated with a whole-building seismic retrofit. This allowed the school to modernize the facility, expand programs, and safeguard the building for future generations.

A hallmark of the school’s ongoing renovation effort is its leadership in resilience and seismic upgrades. In 2025, UCoop became the first school in Seattle to complete a full seismic retrofit and be officially removed from the City of Seattle’s Unreinforced Masonry (URM) list. 

The collaborative work on UCoop’s Maxwell Building is a model of how thoughtful, phased renovation can preserve historic character while delivering safety and modern educational performance. Through adaptive reuse, seismic upgrades, and sustainable design, the school has created a durable, healthy, and inspiring environment for students and teachers alike, ensuring this neighborhood landmark continues to serve the community for decades to come.”

Team
Owner: University Cooperative School
Architect: CAST
Owners Rep: Westlake Consulting Group
Contractor: Sellen
Structural/URM: Swenson Say Fagét
Electrical: TFWB Engineers
Estimating: Rider Levett Bucknall
Special Inspection: Terracon

See more about the preservation of the school building here: www.castarchitecture.com/university-cooperative-school