The Visual Resources Collection of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning consists of approximately 130,000 circulating 35mm slides and 67,000 digital images. The digital image database is accessible over the internet; please contact the Director for a password to use the digital image database.

Annual new accessions to the Collection number around 8,000 images, which include commercial purchases, images requested by faculty from printed materials, on-site photography, donations of original images from faculty, and retrocataloged images from uncataloged sections of the Collection.

The Collection is staffed by one full-time professional director, two half-time graduate assistants, and two work/study students; located in Gould Hall 330, the VRC is open between 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.

Image of the Month: September 2008

Reed Residence, Hilltop Community

Wendell Lovett designed the Reed Residence in The Hilltop Community in Bellevue, Washington in 1957. Lovett received his B. Arch. from the UW in 1947, where he later taught for many years; his name is on the Roll of Honor in the auditorium in Architecture Hall.

Hilltop (south of what is now I-90 in Bellevue) was planned from 1947 and 1950 by a group of artists, architects, builders, and engineers, many of whom were faculty at the University of Washington. The founding members were interested in creating a community that valued architectural design, modern residential development planning, and the natural environment.

A recent tour of Hilltop sponsored by DOCOMOMOWEWA (Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement, Western WA) provided the Visual Resources Collection with ninety new original digital images of several of the iconic houses in the Hilltop Community enclave, including the Reed Residence.