Higher Education
University of Washington Seismic Phase 5
Client
Turner Construction Company
Project Owner
University of Washington
Location
Seattle, Washington
Project Value
$21,500,000
Industry
Higher Education
Account Executive(s)
Joshua Harden, Trey Wilson
Services Provided
Presentation Coaching |
Presentation Development |
Higher Education
University of Washington Seismic Phase 5
Client
Turner Construction Company
Project Owner
University of Washington
Location
Seattle, Washington
Project Value
$21,500,000
Industry
Higher Education
Account Executive(s)
Joshua Harden, Trey Wilson
Services Provided
Presentation Coaching |
Presentation Development |
Project Overview
The University of Washington's long-running seismic improvement program reached its fifth phase with a $21.5 million project targeting three of Seattle's most recognized campus buildings: Suzzallo Library, Hec Edmundson Pavilion, and the Art building. The work focused on reinforcing unreinforced masonry bearing and non-bearing walls and securing parapets to reduce collapse risk and prevent masonry from falling. Phase 5 continued a multi-year effort that had already addressed 13 of the 23 buildings originally identified across the Seattle campus, with each biennium bringing the university closer to a fully seismically improved historic building inventory. The client engaged PRESWERX to develop the presentation and prepare the team through coaching for the live selection interview.
Client Challenges
Competing for a phased seismic improvement contract on a major research university campus required the client to address a specific set of pursuit challenges:
Demonstrating relevant experience with unreinforced masonry seismic retrofits, particularly in occupied, historically significant campus buildings where construction methods and sequencing require special care.
Communicating the team's ability to work within three buildings of distinct program and occupancy type simultaneously, including an active library, a major athletics venue, and an academic arts facility.
Preparing for a university interview where evaluators, familiar with the program's prior phases, would scrutinize the team's understanding of URM construction and their approach to minimizing campus disruption.
The presentation and coaching needed to position the team as the right partner to carry a trusted long-term program through its next critical phase.
Scope of Work
PRESWERX developed a structured presentation for the client's Phase 5 pursuit and ran coaching sessions to prepare the team for the University of Washington's selection interview. The presentation was organized to establish the team's masonry seismic retrofit experience before addressing the specific requirements of Suzzallo Library, Hec Edmundson Pavilion, and the Art building. Each facility's program and occupancy context was addressed individually, with the overall narrative connecting the three scopes into a coherent multi-building delivery strategy. Coaching sessions focused on the technical depth the university would expect from a team pursuing the fifth phase of an established program, preparing presenters to speak precisely about URM reinforcement methods, phasing approaches, and campus coordination.
PRESWERX Approach
PRESWERX understood that a university evaluating a Phase 5 contractor already had four phases of reference and high expectations for technical fluency. The pursuit strategy reflected that context:
Built the presentation around the program's continuity, framing the client's qualifications in the context of an established university effort rather than treating Phase 5 as a standalone project.
Addressed each of the three buildings on its own terms, acknowledging the different operational sensitivities of a research library, a major athletics venue, and an arts academic facility.
Ran coaching sessions that pushed the team's technical precision, ensuring every presenter could speak confidently about URM wall and parapet reinforcement methods and the sequencing decisions required by occupied buildings.
The combined effort produced a team that could walk into the interview as credible partners in an ongoing campus safety program, not just a new vendor.
Results Delivered
PRESWERX delivered a presentation and coaching program calibrated to the demands of a long-running university seismic improvement pursuit. Each component strengthened the client's position heading into the selection:
A structured presentation that situated the team within the university's ongoing seismic program and made a clear, building-specific case for their qualifications across Suzzallo, Hec Edmundson, and Art.
Coaching sessions that sharpened the team's technical delivery and prepared each presenter to answer the specific, experience-testing questions a Phase 5 evaluation committee would ask.
A pursuit narrative that reflected the program's history and the university's longterm investment in campus seismic safety, positioning the client as a partner committed to seeing the effort through.
The client entered the selection process prepared to compete at the level a university expects from a team pursuing the fifth phase of a critical infrastructure program.
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