Press Release
Updated: April 3, 2009
Contact: Katherine Schiffner, Communications and Media Relations Coordinator, 425-388-9554; kschiffner@everettcc.edu
Everett Community College Opens Gray Wolf Hall
Read The Herald editorial, "In tough times, a step forward," about Gray Wolf Hall.
- See photos of the building under construction.
EVERETT, WA – Everett Community College celebrated the opening of Gray Wolf Hall April 3, the second of five new buildings planned in a $200 million upgrade to meet the growing need for higher education in Snohomish County.
The 77,000 square foot building will be home to classes in the humanities, social sciences and communications. The building opens for classes March 30, the start of EvCC's spring quarter.
"When I first started taking classes at EvCC back in Fall 2006 as a Running Start student, our campus looked way different," Associated Student Body president Sarah Sandford said. "As someone who's seen the campus change during the last two years, I'm really excited about Gray Wolf."
It will also be the new home of the University Center of North Puget Sound, which offers 24 bachelor's and master's degrees from six partner universities – Western Washington University, Central Washington University, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, The Evergreen State College and Hope International University.
Everett Community College is the legislatively appointed leader of the University Center of North Puget Sound.
"The University Center's move to Gray Wolf Hall provides additional space to help meet the need for four-year degrees in Snohomish County," said Everett Community College President David Beyer. "Bringing a wide range of bachelor's degree options to Snohomish County is a top priority for the University Center."
Bringing the University Center to EvCC's campus will make it easier for freshman and sophomore EvCC students to meet with university advisors and faculty, take upper-division university classes on campus and transfer to earn bachelor's or master's degrees, said Christine Kerlin, executive director of the University Center.
Gray Wolf Hall is EvCC's first "green" building. It was designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Rating. Facilities Director Larry Price expects the college will save in energy costs for decades.
Faculty and staff offices occupy the glass-sided north wing, and classrooms fill the brick-covered south wing. Some of the features include four video conference rooms for University Center, artwork suspended over the second floor bridge student lounge and a rain garden in the courtyard.
The building is the second of four new academic buildings planned for EvCC. It's named after Gray Wolf Peak, the highpoint of Gray Wolf Ridge in eastern Olympic National Park at 7,218 feet above sea level. The third floor of Gray Wolf has a view of the Olympic Mountains. EvCC historically names its buildings after peaks of the Cascade and Olympic mountains.
Artwork for the building was created by Seattle artist Beliz Brother, who designed "Bloom," a multi-layered piece that fills the area between the bridge and window of the atrium in Gray Wolf. The piece is constructed from Eco-Resin with LED lights imbedded into the sculpture. A computer-controlled light system creates a variable pattern of light programmed to change throughout the day, week and season.
Her artwork was commissioned by the Washington State Arts Commission's Art in Public Places Program in partnership with Everett Community College.
Gray Wolf Hall was designed by Seattle-based LMN Architects, which also designed EvCC's Whitehorse Hall, the Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center and Seattle's Benaroya Hall. Construction was by M. A. Mortenson Construction of Seattle.
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