Bastyr University - Facilities

Facilities

Bastyr's main campus sits on 51 acres of forests and athletic fields near Lake Washington. The Saint Edward State Park forest surrounds it on three sides. On December 14, 2009, the Kenmore City Council unanimously approved Bastyr University’s Master Plan, following months of review by the city's Planning Commission and City Council. The plan was bolstered by Bastyr's offer to lease on-campus athletic fields for public use and community scheduling.

Student Village

Bastyr's Student Village consists of 11 cottage-style buildings that include single-suite rooms with private baths, and shared kitchens, lounges, and study rooms. The village is designed to blend into the campus's natural setting and was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification, among other green awards, for its environmentally friendly design and energy efficiency.

Chapel

The campus includes a secular European-style chapel used for choral performances, weddings, special events, and conferences. Built in the 1950s when the building was used for a seminary, the chapel includes hand-carved oak paneling, marble columns, terrazzo floors and glass mosaic artwork. The chapel features unusual near-perfect acoustics that attract frequent recording sessions for Hollywood films. Scores for "Brokeback Mountain," "About Schmidt," "Mr. Holland's Opus," "Mirror Mirror," and other films (and, more recently, video games) have been recorded in the chapel. Musician Dave Matthews used it to record the orchestral track for one of his albums. The Seattle Times reported that the acoustics were a deliberate focus on the first major assignment of a new architect in the late 1950s.

Library

The library has a collection of 19,000 volumes of materials on alternative and conventional medicine. In addition, the library has a collection of 250 alternative and complementary medicine journals, as well as audiotaped and videotaped lectures, and extensive medical databases and online resources.

Cafeteria

The popular Bastyr University Dining Commons offers meals that reflect the university's whole-food nutrition philosophy, which emphasizes eating a variety of plant-based foods in unprocessed forms. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free entrees, a salad bar, a sandwich station, handmade soups, a variety of baked goods and espresso drinks are prepared by a professional staff and culinary and nutrition students. Veteran Seattle chef Jim Watkins became director of food services in early 2011, introducing a daily, responsibly sourced meat option to the longtime-vegetarian cafeteria. Watkins' leadership and the dining commons have been featured in The Seattle Times, Edible Seattle, and U.S. News & World Report.

Conferences and meetings

Many not-for-profits and other groups use Bastyr facilities for meetings, retreats and conferences. Bastyr's conference services department offers planning assistance in selecting among various classrooms, the auditorium, chapel, and overnight dorm rooms. Catering Services provides full-service catering and the entire campus is WiFi accessible at no extra charge.

Weddings

Bastyr's chapel is popular as a wedding location with its marble floors, carved wood, stained glass, and dramatic center aisle.