UW Students Reimagine Ballard Waterfront

The Scan Design Foundation Interdisciplinary Master Studio by the University of Washington College of Built Environments combines international study experience with multi-disciplinary collaboration on local projects to develop planning and design solutions for Seattle’s public realm. The program has been supported by Scan Design Foundation since 2008.

On Monday, December 8, 2025 the University of Washington College of Built Environments Scan Design Foundation Interdisciplinary Design Studio brought together students, faculty, and community members at the National Nordic Museum for a public review focused on the future of the Ballard waterfront. The event marked the conclusion of a quarter-long studio and a two-week early fall study abroad in Copenhagen as part of the Scan Design Foundation’s Landscape Architecture and Ecological Urbanism program.

Led by Vincent Javet, assistant teaching professor in landscape architecture, the studio combines international study with interdisciplinary collaboration on local projects. Students work across planning, design, and research to develop proposals that respond to Seattle’s public spaces and waterfronts.

This year, students developed integrated proposals for the former Yankee Diner site near the 24th Avenue NW shoreline street end and the surrounding Salmon Bay. Their work addressed long-term planning frameworks spanning 10 to 25 years, mid-term park and site designs spanning 5 to 10 years, and near-term urban activations spanning 0 to 5 years. The proposals responded to the ecological, industrial, and cultural conditions of the area.

The 24th Avenue Shoreline Street End Area as Catalyst

The studio centered on the 24th Avenue NW shoreline street end and adjacent property, a publicly owned but underused connection point between Ballard and Salmon Bay. Adjacent to the site, a Seattle Public Utilities pump station is under construction to manage stormwater and greywater within the watersheds north of the Ship Canal from Wallingford to Ballard.

Often treated only as access infrastructure, the street end and property nearby presents an opportunity to rethink how civic space, ecological systems, and working waterfront uses can exist together. Through near-term interventions, mid-term park design, and long-term planning strategies, students explored how one focused investment could support public access, shoreline resilience, and long-term stewardship.

Research Foundations: From Denmark to Ballard

Before the studio, students travel to Copenhagen, Denmark to see the city through its people-centered urban design lens. While abroad, students study precedents in landscape architecture, climate adaptation, and waterfront redevelopment through landscape-led urbanism, biodiversity-focused design, and large-scale ecological planning. Site visits included projects and offices in Copenhagen and Malmö, with engagements at Schulze+Grassov, Gehl Architects, COBE, BIG, and SLA.

These lessons directly informed their work in Seattle. The studio was further supported by Rasmus Astrup, partner and design principal at SLA, who served as distinguished visiting professor during an intensive week in Seattle. His lectures and critiques helped connect Scandinavian approaches to Pacific Northwest conditions.

Back in Ballard, students worked with the Ballard Waterfront Park Coalition, including Groundswell NW, Friends of Street Ends, Washington Water Trails Association and other stakeholders to combine detailed site analysis with historical, cultural, environmental, and social research. This work informed the long-term planning frameworks, mid-term design proposals, and near-term activations presented at the public review.

Design Phases and Community Engagement

Students worked with partners across disciplines under the understanding that waterfronts function as ecological systems, cultural landscapes, and places of work and infrastructure. The long-term planning phase was grounded in cultural context and Indigenous knowledge. Stephanie James, cultural director for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, met with students at Cannonball Arts to discuss tribal history, contemporary cultural practice, and ongoing relationships to waterfront landscapes.

During the mid-term design phase, the studio collaborated with Jim Graham, principal and founder of Graham Baba Architects. Students toured the firm’s West Canal Yards project and studied adaptive reuse, material choices, and how public access can coexist with active industrial uses.

The studio concluded with a near-term phase focused on temporary urban activations. Environmental artist Buster Simpson guided students in exploring how short-term installations and landscape interventions could test ideas in public, reveal hidden systems, and invite community participation. Projects emphasized adaptable, low-impact approaches that could build momentum and make future possibilities visible.

Public Review and Looking Ahead

At the public review, interdisciplinary teams presented all phases together, allowing visitors to see how long-term planning, mid-term design, and near-term action formed a connected design story. Hosted in partnership with the Ballard Waterfront Park Coalition, the event highlighted ongoing efforts to expand public access and care along Ballard’s shoreline.

The December 8 review marked an invitation to continue shaping Seattle’s working waterfronts through thoughtful, community-centered design. A full studio report has been released and published on the Scan Design Studio website at https://sdstudio.be.uw.edu/.

The report documents student projects, research, and partnerships and support continued discussion around waterfront design, ecological urbanism, and civic engagement in Seattle and beyond.

Taken together, the seven student projects articulate the studio work as speculative yet grounded visions for Ballard’s waterfront—one that reconciles industry and ecology, honors cultural memory, and treats design as a civic and ethical practice operating across time.

Gratitude and Acknowledgments

The College of Built Environments extends sincere thanks to the Scan Design Foundation for its sustained commitment to interdisciplinary, international design education, and for making both the studio and study tour possible.

Additional thanks go to the many community and institutional partners including the Ballard Waterfront Park Coalition, Groundswell NW, Seattle Parks & Recreation, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), Pacific Fishermen, the National Nordic Museum, and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, as well as the reviewers and practitioners who generously shared their time and expertise:

• Aaron Luoma, Principal, HBB Landscape Architecture
• Celina Balderas Guzmán, Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture, UW CBE
• Claire Farrington, Ballard Waterfront Park Coalition & Groundswell NW
• Dave Boyd, Ballard Waterfront Park Coalition, Groundswell NW & Friends of Street Ends
• Davidya Kasperzyk, Ballard Waterfront Park Coalition & Groundswell NW
• Debra Guenther, Partner, Mithun
• Elizabeth Umbanhowar, PhD Candidate + Lecturer, UW CBE
• Erin Jacobs, Partner, Mithun
• Jade Orr, Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture, UW CBE
• Jim Graham, Principal/Founder, Graham Baba Architects
• Josh Seyfried, Principal + Founder, STUDIO SEYFRIED
• Julie Parrett, Associate Teaching Professor, Landscape Architecture, UW CBE
• Lisa Scribante, Partner, Mithun
• Matt Grosser, PhD Candidate, UW
• Mark Childs, Professor Emeritus, University of New Mexico
• May So, Partner, Mithun
• Nancy Rottle, Professor Emeritus, Landscape Architecture, UW
• Rose James, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
• Stephanie James, Culture Director, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
• Tess Schiavone, Principal, GGN

This story was originally written by the University of Washington College of Built Environments and published on January 22nd, 2026. Original article can be found here: https://be.uw.edu/blog/2026/01...

Editor: Alex Blair, UWCBE Multimedia Specialist

Images by Vincent Javet (unless otherwise noted)