Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

UC Santa Cruz Student Housing West to Ease Housing Crunch

  • 06/25/19

SANTA CRUZ, CA – The University of California Board of Regents recently approved critical new student housing projects at the UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) campus. The project, Student Housing West, is being led by national developer Capstone Development Partners, and will create more than 3,000 new student beds on campus at two sites: the Hagar Site, located near the southeast corner of the main campus and the Heller Site, located on the western side of the main campus. The project will also include a new Early Education Center serving 140 children of UCSC's students, faculty, and staff.

UC Santa Cruz Housing

Lead architect, HED, is responsible for design at the Heller Site, of approximately 800,000 square feet of undergraduate student housing across five buildings, along with a community plaza hub that includes cafe, market, and wellness amenities. HED is working with design-build contractor, DPR Construction. Walker Macy is serving as the project's lead campus planner and landscape architect for both sites. Additional design architects include Mithun and Katerra for the Graduate Student Housing building at the Heller Site. The Hagar Site design team includes Katerra for Family Student Housing and the Community Building, and SABArchitects for the Early Education Center with design-build contractor, Swinerton. Overall project cost is estimated at $713 million.

The Graduate Student Housing and Undergraduate Student Housing are a blend of apartment-style units and co-living models with shared common areas and kitchens. These were designed to achieve affordable rental rates—a key concern among students surveyed—and panelized components are expected to be fabricated off site and assembled on site.

Both project sites are being designed to achieve a high level of sustainability, including focused efforts to decrease use of non-potable water (through a dedicated wastewater treatment plant on each site) and decrease the generation of carbon and waste. In addition, the development team is striving to achieve LEED Platinum certification for both sites.

Featured

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.