|
|
11/04/24
|
Pepper Canyon West Living and Learning Neighborhood, a new residential community located on the eastern edge of the University of California San Diego’s historic La Jolla campus, has been completed.
Anchored by two towers, of 22 and 23 stories, Pepper Canyon West is an urban gateway to the heart of the UCSD campus and is the university’s first-ever upper-division student housing project. It was designed by architecture firm Perkins&Will.
Funded in part by the State of California’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program, the $352 mil student housing project now provides below-market-rate rental options to 1,316 transfer and upper-division students, improving access to housing and higher education in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. UC San Diego’s housing program has also become one of the largest in the nation, enhancing the student experience while promoting environmental stewardship.
Project Description
• Clad in glass with perforated metal sunshade elements, the project’s façade design was inspired by native canyon trees in Pepper Canyon and across campus. Six large terraces (three on each C-shaped building) wrapped in trellis canopies and overhung by an array of vine species provide soft shading and natural dappled light to students studying or socializing, while wood-paneled welcome lounges inspired by the surrounding canyon’s volumetric "carves” offer smaller spaces for gathering or personal use toward the entrances of the buildings.
• All units are identical and designed for single occupancy to promote equitable living and safeguard students from potential illness. Communal spaces, including kitchens and study rooms modeled after co-working lounges, are in close proximity to foster a sense of community, along with amenities such as coffee shops, game rooms and a fitness center opening to the outside.
• Courtyards integrate with open spaces, bicycle paths and walkways. Adjoining the building courtyards, the six-acre open space preserve recreates a rustic canyon at the heart of the new precinct—filled with native plantings, art, walking trails, outdoor study spaces and extensive stormwater mitigation infrastructure. Other programmatic elements, including ground-level retail, an arts complex, an amphitheater and STEM buildings, add to the vibrant urban atmosphere.
• New shuttle and trolley stops are easily accessible to students without a car, underscoring the university’s commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gases. The project is targeting LEED Gold Certification.
|
|
 Return to the Archive page
|
|
|
|
|
Printer-friendly Version
Email an Associate
