New Construction

San Francisco State University Starts Work on New Residence Hall

• By Matt Jones
• 04/13/23

San Francisco State University in San Francisco, Calif., recently broke ground on a new first-year residence hall to help provide affordable housing to students, according to a news release. The hall will have a capacity for 750 beds as well as a dining area and a student health center. The university is partnering with design-build team McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., and EHDD.

The West Campus Green project will feature two adjacent buildings. The first will measure in at 120,000 square feet, stand six stories, and is scheduled to open its doors to students in fall 2024. The second will measure 50,000 square feet, stand three stories, and open in winter 2024 to include a dining commons area and student health center, according to a news release. The project will cost a total of $179 million, with $116 million coming from the State of California’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program.

The residence hall supports universal design methods and will use a “pod” concept averaging 12 rooms with three students each. Each pod will share bathrooms and study lounges. The Gator Health Center will play home to Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Health Promotion and Wellness. It will offer services like triage, health assessments, exam and treatment spaces, mental health support, and administrative space. The dining hall will feature a courtyard that offers outdoor spaces to socialize and relax, according to the news release.

“During my visits to almost 30 universities across California, I have met with countless students who shared experiences with housing insecurity,” said California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. “Thanks to projects like West Campus Green, more California students will be able to focus on their education and not worry about where they are going to sleep at night. I’m deeply proud of our state’s historic commitment to supporting the total cost of college attendance for students and ensuring every Californian has a shot at achieving the California dream.”