The home of ‘The Boys in the Boat' at UW gets a major update

The University of Washington has broken ground on a multimillion dollar renovation project of a historic campus landmark.

The ASUW Shell House is over a century old, and was once home to the school’s rowing program, including the 1936 crew team that won Olympic gold. Decades later, the team became the focus of the bestselling book “The Boys in the Boat,” and a Hollywood film adaptation directed by George Clooney.

Past and present members of Washington Rowing, university officials, and “Boys in the Boat” author Daniel James Brown gathered outside of the shell house on Wednesday for a special ground breaking ceremony.

“The ASUW Shell House is more than just a building, it is a living story, “ said Denzil Suite, UW vice president for student life. “It has stood witness to student innovation, athletic excellence, cultural traditions, and community gatherings.”

But Wednesday’s festivities briefly took a turn shortly after Suite’s remarks.

Moments after Brown, author of “The Boys in the Boat,” took the stage, the gathering was interrupted by 15 protestors calling on the university to divest from companies connected to Israel’s war in Gaza. Some protestors intercepted the event via kayaks on the Montlake Cut.

UW Director of Media Relations Dana Robinson Slote told KUOW via email that most of the protestors complied with orders to leave, but two people were arrested.

The university said they do not appear to have any connection to the school.

After several minutes, the event resumed, and Brown finished his remarks.

Throughout the writing process, Brown said he was unable to get into the shell house, and relied on photos for his research.

But in 2012, he snuck into the building through an unlocked door. A screenwriter interested in adapting the book joined Brown, along with Judy Rantz Willman, the daughter of 1936 Olympic crew member Joe Rantz. The group was only there for a few minutes before getting kicked out, Brown said, but the experience left him “blown away.”

“When you’re inside, it’s a little like being in a cathedral, the way the light comes in through the overhead windows,” Brown said.

Interest around the shell house skyrocketed after the book was published in 2013, and Brown believes the film adaptation also helped raise the profile of the story and the shell house to “another level,” despite the production passing on filming locally. (Instead, they filmed at a replica of the building that was built in England.)

Brown said he’s been involved in the renovation project for several years, calling the process “a long slog.” Fundraising during Covid was “really” difficult, he said, and there were times it seemed unclear whether funding would come together at all.

According to the UW, the total project budget for the ASUW Shell House sits at $22.5 million, with more than 5,000 donors pitching in. About $100,000 worth of funding came directly from the state of Washington. The university says they also received funding from private corporations and King County.

The renovation project aims to modernize the facility by adding new features like an elevator, as well as heating and cooling for the building, according to Rich Franko, a design partner for the renovation.

New exhibits about the location’s significance to Indigenous tribes, canoe journey culture, and the 1936 U.S. Olympic rowing team will be added to the shell house, Franko said.

“This whole project has been this fine line of trying to preserve the magic both of the building and the history, and the site,” Franko said. “While doing a lot of sorely needed infrastructure elements and trying to balance how those two come together, so that we can kind of support the next generation using the facility, but not overwhelm the design with the new infrastructure.”

Once the shell house reopens, Franko said visitors will be able to take in the view of the Montlake Cut from new seating inside the shell house, and reflect or learn more about the building.

While the ASUW Shell House may be thought of as a UW asset to many, Brown believes the building — and the stories of those who came through its doors — represent something larger.

"Both the story and also this building, I think, are so kind of iconic of the way we live in the Northwest,” Brown said, "the kinds of things that Northwesterners value: outdoor endeavor, innovation, collaboration."

Construction is expected to wrap up in the fall or winter of 2026.