In response to last year’s housing strain caused by an
unexpectedly large freshman class, campus planners are working on two new
infill housing projects in John Muir and
in the context of previous planning studies. The projects, still in the design
phase, are part of larger neighborhood projects that will be completed
incrementally over the next 10 to 20 years to provide more first- and
second-year housing.
Preplanning committees for each of the infill projects
formed in fall 2006 to brainstorm and discuss concepts for the buildings.
“There was a lot of enthusiasm to complete our living
environment,” committee member and Muir Resident Dean Pat Danylyshyn-Adams
said.
Muir’s new housing unit, projected for completion in fall
2011, will be approximately 10 stories tall and provide about 275 beds. It was
designed to integrate the floor plan of the college’s apartments into the
lounge-centered structure of its Tioga and Tenaya residence halls.
Originally, there was discussion to place the building in
the nearby parking lot, but the committee decided to keep all housing close to
Muir’s central quad.
“The idea really was to keep it within the Muir community,”
Danylysyhn-Adams said.
In addition to housing, future Muir building projects
include a renovation of Sierra Summit dining hall and adjustments to nearby
pathways, in order to accommodate the increase in residents. The college will
also be adding about 200,000 square feet of space for academic use.
Revelle will be expanding even more, as it stands to gain
about 700,000 square feet of new academic space in addition to about 500
undergraduate beds and an extensive dining-commons renovation.
The physical planners will also incorporate extensive
landscaping that will “capitalize on
climate,” according to the project’s executive summary.
Ridge Walk will also undergo improvements so that it can act
as the primary walkway for increased foot traffic.
The infill housing and support facilities, estimated to cost
up to $160 million, are still in
planning phases, and UCSD Design and Construction Project Architect Mark Nelson
is currently forming a building advisory committee to oversee the projects and
provide student and faculty input.
