Collaboration in Design: JBC’s Role in WashU’s East End Transformation

JBC played a key technical role in the East End Transformation of Washington University’s Danforth Campus, resulting in an ambitious redevelopment that replaced six acres of surface parking with a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly landscape. This transformative project introduced five new campus buildings, a below-grade parking garage, and a thoughtfully designed public realm that now welcomes visitors with green space, gathering areas, circulation paths, and a sense of arrival onto campus.

JBC collaborated closely with Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Arbolope Studio, and KieranTimberlake to design and coordinate site-wide irrigation, landscape subdrainage, and engineered soil systems. The complexity of the project required precision as irrigation and soils transitioned across five new buildings and over an underground garage, where soil weights and structural profiles had to be carefully managed. The JBC team successfully navigated a broad spectrum of soil conditions, supply-related material changes, integration with existing irrigation systems, and turf fire lanes, all while preserving the integrity of the landscape design.

The result is a lush and inviting landscape that has redefined the eastern edge of the WashU campus. With strong early performance from the plantings, including rapid growth of smaller-caliper trees, this new campus entry is already thriving. “The transformation at the East End is a project I always look forward to visiting,” said Spencer Sneller, Senior Project Manager at JBC. “WashU is a beautiful campus, and MVLA’s planting design continues to evolve and mature.”