University Cooperative School – Pre-K through 5th Grade

University Cooperative School – Pre-K through 5th Grade

Seattle, WA

Located north of the UW campus, University Cooperative School (UCoop) offers a vibrant learning environment in a 1925 unreinforced masonry (URM) building. Over the past 10 years, CAST architecture and SSF have worked with the school on a series of renovations, culminating in the full seismic retrofit of the building. The completion of this retrofit made UCoop the first school in Seattle to be officially removed from the city of Seattle’s URM list. Different portions of the seismic upgrades were performed across various phases of the renovations to allow school to remain in session. Sequencing of the seismic upgrades was carefully coordinated and designed to increase project efficiency and reduce redundant work. Seismic and structural improvements included adding shear walls to reinforce the hollow clay tile party wall, roof strengthening, parapet bracing, wall anchorage, and retrofit of previously installed braced frames and concrete shearwalls. All work was completed while the building remained fully operational. This project provides UCoop with a durable and inspiring environment and maintains a valuable historic community asset for the neighborhood. 

Buildings are coming off Seattle’s URM list

Award: 2026 Historic Seattle ‘Preserving Neighborhood Character’ Award