Community Blogs
UW in the High School
Minnery’s Rain Garden
UW students examine Ballard transit
Nordic Heritage Museum
UW design students assist Crown Hill Business Association
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
Molly Wizenberg
Originally settled by Danish and Finish immigrants, Ballard and nearby neighborhoods such as Sunset Hill, Crown Hill, North Beach and Loyal Heights have a distinct Scandinavian flavor, although the area has become more diverse in recent years. In 1909, a joint academic and community effort led to the establishment of the Department of Scandinavian Languages and Literature at the UW, now called Scandinavian Studies.
Some Neighborhood Notables
Nordic Heritage Museum
The Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard partners with the UW Certificate in Museum Studies program, which uses its collections to teach about museum administration, theory, education, collections and exhibits.
UW students examine Ballard transit
In a project led by Landscape Architecture Associate Professor Julie Johnson, 17 UW landscape design students appeared before a Ballard District Council meeting in March 2012 to present their concepts for a better functioning transit system that would also build a healthier and safer neighborhood.
UW student new BHS girls’ tennis coach
UW student Chandler Lewis was named head coach of the Ballard High School’s girls’ tennis team in January 2012. Chandler plays on the Husky Tennis Club team and is a member of the US High School Tennis Coach Association.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
Carl F. Gould, founder of the University of Washington School of Architecture in 1914, was Consulting Architect for the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, a Ballard landmark. Other notable buildings in Seattle designed by Gould include the original Seattle Art Museum in Volunteer Park and the Montlake Bridge.
Minnery’s Rain Garden
Minnery’s Rain Garden at Adams Elementary School in Ballard was created over two years by UW landscape architect David Minnery, MLA ’08, who worked with the school’s first-graders to create the rain garden’s initial design. A local morning show, New Day Northwest, featured Minnery and others connected to the project in a special segment.
UW design students assist Crown Hill Business Association
Katey Bean, MLA ’06, and Alison Maitland Scheetz from the College of Built Environments helped the Crown Hill Business Association guide neighborhood and pedestrian improvements to the area, with an eye toward strengthening Crown Hill’s identity as a unique neighborhood.
Boosting Local Economies
Molly Wizenberg, a former Ph.D. student in cultural anthropology at the University of Washington, is the author of the food blog Orangette, co-host of the humorous food podcast Spilled Milk, author of the best-selling book A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, and co-owner of the Ballard pizzeria Delancey.
Natural Resource Consultants in Ballard was founded by entrepreneurs with experience at the University of Washington and provides marine and fishery research and consulting.
The Industrial Assessment Center believes that managing industrial energy is a responsibility shared by the entire industrial community. In order to achieve a greater level of energy efficiency, a team composed mainly of engineering faculty and graduate-level students in the University of Washington’s Department of Electrical Engineering provides small- and medium-sized manufacturers with free energy assessments.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks Carl F. Gould, founder of the University of Washington School of Architecture in 1914, was Consulting Architect for the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, a Ballard landmark. Other notable buildings in Seattle designed by Gould include the original Seattle Art Museum in Volunteer Park and the Montlake Bridge.