Date Posted: 04.11.2025
This week, the California Coastal Commission approved the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) San Benito Student Housing development, designed by Mithun and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM). The newly revealed design is the most significant expansion of student housing in a decade on the campus.
SCALING UP STUDENT HOUSING
The new San Benito Student Housing development will introduce apartment-style residences and an inclusive new hub for student life at the northwest corner of campus, all connected to the surrounding natural landscape. The first in a two-phase effort to substantially increase the number of student residences on campus by 2029, San Benito will provide housing and amenities for approximately 2,200 students over seven buildings by fall 2027. When complete, San Benito will be the first new student housing project delivered at UCSB in a decade.
A NEW STUDENT COMMUNITY WOVEN INTO A RICH NATURAL LANDSCAPE
Designed to channel natural airflow patterns, San Benito will create sitewide breezeways through a collection of slender residential bars and ground level courtyard gardens on a nearly six-acre site. To capitalize on the site’s 20-foot grade change, a two-story plinth anchors the residential buildings with various student life amenities including a to-go market, lounges, and other services and spaces that underscore the university’s commitment to student wellness.
A central pedestrian promenade—referred to as The Connector—will consist of a series of bridges and terraces that playfully weave through the site, capitalizing on panoramic views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The Connector will stitch the multi-building complex together as a cohesive community. Gently stepping terraces will provide access to amenity programs and support spaces throughout the site, including a Student Center pavilion at the project’s entry. The multiuse pavilion will feature flexible spaces under a dynamic sawtooth canopy and large clerestory windows that invite natural light deep into the space.
COASTAL LIVING ON CAMPUS
At its core, San Benito will deliver 721,000 square feet of apartment-style student housing, with each building angled and staggered to capture natural light, ocean breezes, and northward views of the Goleta Slough and coastal range. The buildings frame inviting open spaces, designed as a series of garden courtyards where residents can choose to gather around a picnic table, enjoy a quiet moment, or find a shady nook to study. The richly textured facade is designed to exploit the Southern California sunlight, resulting in a shallow sawtooth pattern with spacing that narrows toward the top. Its enclosure is made of light-colored precast concrete to reduce heat gain and reflect natural light down into the courtyards.
With a range of unit densities (from singles to double quads) and shared space, each residential row will be demarcated by color palettes inspired by the surrounding coastal wetlands and mountainside. To encourage stair use, the residences will include large exterior stairwells wrapped in contrasting, perforated aluminum screens. The high-performance design is targeting LEED Platinum certification and will leverage Santa Barbara’s mild climate to provide passive ventilation for most of the building systems.
Webcor Builders is UCSB’s Construction Manager-At-Risk (CMAR) and general contractor for the project.
