Date Posted: 07.21.2015
Construction of the University of California Irvine Mesa Court Expansion officially topped out on July 21. The $93 million, 780-bed student life complex reached its maximum height at six floors in less than 18 months, and is on schedule to open to freshmen in September 2016. The design-build team of Mithun and Hensel Phelps is utilizing a collaborative approach that aligns cost effectiveness, schedule efficiency and design quality at each step of the design and delivery process, enabling this planned completion to happen less than three years after award of contract.
The building’s student-centered environments promote the health and well-being of residents together with sustainable performance, as Mithun Partner Bill LaPatra explains in this article with real estate journal GlobeSt.com. Throughout the LEED Platinum-target facility, spaces are designed to be flexible and foster interaction. In addition to the cutting-edge dining center, students are invited to gather in study and computer rooms, a fitness center and recreation room, two-story “great rooms” in each of the three residence halls, and mini cafes that offer market-fresh alternatives. Understanding that learning does not stop after students leave the lecture hall, this blending of student life and academic life is key to fulfilling a campus-living experience.
A webcam has been set up by Hensel Phelps at the site, allowing viewers to watch the construction progress in action.
