Client: UC Irvine Student Housing
Location: 4001 Mesa Road, Irvine, CA.
Architect/Contractor: Mithun w/ Hensel Phelps Construction, Fast-Track, Design/Build
Area/Size/Massing: 250,000 GSF, 3 residential towers on a mixed-use base including facilities maintenance
Design Started: January 2014
Construction Completed: August 2016
Construction Cost: $94M

Contract Magazine 39th Annual Interiors Awards, Education, 2018
UC Office of the President Best of Merit, Higher Education/Research, 2017
Design-Build Institute of America’s Western Pacific Region, Design Excellence Award, 2017
Design-Build Institute of America’s Western Pacific Region, Regional Award, 2017
Design-Build Institute of America Project of the Year, 2017
Design-Build Institute of America National Award of Excellence, Educational Facilities, 2017
Design-Build Institute of America, National Award of Merit, Educational Facilities, 2017
AIA Seattle Honor Awards, Merit Award, 2017
AIA Los Angeles Design Awards, COTE Honor Award, 2017

High-performance living-learning community incorporating residential, dining and educational programs. ~1,000 student beds in a mix of triples and quads, 950-seat dining center plus 240 terrace seats, flexible classrooms and study rooms, fitness center, student

Three residential towers rise above an amenity-rich base, presenting a new vertical living paradigm for this growing campus. Dynamic living and gathering spaces are woven in staggered layers to create a new center of gravity for the Mesa Court neighborhood.

The design incorporates natural ventilation, daylight harvesting, active renewable energy systems and sustainable site strategies to achieve LEED Platinum certification and exceed California Title 24 energy requirements by 30%. Exterior circulation, dining and active courtyards maximize usable space on the infill site, enhancing campus connectivity and student experience.

At the ground level, a fresh food concept dining facility – complete with healthy menus, culinary classes, indoor-outdoor seating and a café – serves the 2,500-student neighborhood. Educational and recreation spaces are interspersed to create a vibrant nexus of student life around the clock.