UW Tacoma wins national honors
national honors

The University of Washington Tacoma received a 1999 National Honor Award in October from the National Trust for Historic Preservation at its annual conference in Washington, D.C.

"The university's creative reuse of these historic buildings shows how accommodating preservation can be," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. "It's no small feat to rehabilitate an entire district; it's a far larger one to turn that district into a university district. Such a vision is a model for rehabilitation around the country.

"They have created opportunities for meaningful contact with the history and traditions of our shared heritage and enhanced the livability of the places and neighborhoods that people care about," said Moe.

In May, UWT's campus won another national honor: one of five American Institute of Architects (AIA) honor awards for urban design. AIA honor awards are considered the profession's highest recognition of excellence in design and are intended to elevate the general quality of architectural practice. The AIA jury noted the UW Tacoma campus is the centerpiece of an urban renaissance, combining culture, education and commercial revitalization with a grand program of historic preservation. The jury also noted that UWT provides a new model for how an institution of learning can give major thrust to broader urban prosperity.

The UWT campus is the result of a pioneering partnership between a city, university and state. ¶