Founders Hall Fast Facts

Some salient facts and figures on Foster’s newest building

The grand opening of Founders Hall is coming in June of 2022. As construction enters its final stage on the Foster School’s new $77 million facility, here are a few salient facts and figures.

Founders Hall will be:

  • Twice the size of its predecessor, Mackenzie Hall, with 84,771 square feet of usable space.
  • The first building on campus constructed of cross-laminated timber (CLT), a renewable composite hardwood with excellent structural strength, rigidity, stability and durability.
  • One of the greenest buildings on campus, designed to achieve a 76% reduction in cumulative carbon and a 79% reduction in energy use intensity over the first 60 years of its life.
  • Funded entirely by private gifts led by a consortium of leadership donors—the “founders” of Founders Hall.
  • A hub for student activity, with two 135-seat turn-to-team classrooms, student commons and lounges, an innovation lab, center headquarters, team rooms, interview rooms, an event forum and a rooftop terrace.
  • Home to the Thaddeus Spratlen Lounge for Inclusion and Diversity, and the Office of Minority Affairs.
  • A showcase for original art by local Indigenous artists, reflective of the Northwest Coast and Coast Salish styles.
  • Overlooking the restored “Fountain of Reflection” by George Tsutakawa, which will be reinstalled in its outdoor plaza.
  • A place of honor, with five team rooms recognizing all UW business graduates who have served in the US Military.
Ed Kromer Managing Editor Foster School

Ed Kromer is the managing editor of Foster Business magazine. Over the past two decades, he has served as the school’s senior storyteller, writing about a wide array of people, programs, insights and innovations that power the Foster School community.