SUMMER 2017
RESEARCH POSITION
Center for Preservation and Adaptive Reuse (CPAR)
Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Buildings
Research Assistant
There are well over 1,150 unreinforced masonry buildings in Seattle that would likely pose a serious hazard
in the case of a major seismic event. The City of Seattle has assembled a policy committee to study the
issue and make recommendations about how to retrofit these buildings, and how to pay for the retrofits
and bring them about in a way that minimizes burden on property owners, small businesses, residents,
and neighborhood advocates while also mitigating hazard. This is a complex challenge with many
dimensions, including aspects related to policy, architecture, real estate, planning, engineering,
emergency management / hazard mitigation, preservation, economic development, equity, and social
justice. The Preservation Green Lab and University of Washington Center for Preservation and Adaptive
Reuse seek a graduate student in a field related to this issue for a research assistantship position.
The research assistant will:
• Conduct windshield surveys of potential URM buildings
• Tabulate, map, and analyze data related to the context, typology, and market characteristics of
URM buildings
• Collaborate with faculty, students, and external researchers on developing recommendations and
solutions for seismic retrofits
Student applicants must be proficient with multiple GIS platforms; have an understanding, working
knowledge, and appreciation of architecture and development in Seattle; and be willing to work across
disciplines and in the field. Since site visits are a portion of the responsibility, access to personal
transportation is helpful.
Start and end dates for this assistantship are flexible and open to negotiation, but in the best case, the
student would begin in June and complete the project by September 15, 2017. Position is for 20
hours/week over the summer, but can be negotiated.
If interested, please email a cover letter and Kathryn Rogers Merlino, (krm@uw.edu) and Manish Chalana,
(chalana@uw.edu) Associate Professors in the College of Built Environments and Mike Powe at the
Preservation Green Lab (mpowe@savingplaces.org).