Date Posted: 01.09.2026
Construction has topped out on UCLA Gayley Towers, an affordable campus-edge project that will deliver 585 student beds in an innovative new cooperative housing model. The eight story mid-rise features shared food preparation and vertically integrated community clusters (mixing first-year to upper-division students) to address food insecurity and support social cohesion.
“Gayley Towers has been an inspirational shared conversation with UCLA and our build partner PCL. The long foundation of trust and shared work on this campus with these teams has allowed us a running start to explore new and promising design strategies to best serve the full spectrum of need at UCLA,” said Mithun partner Brendan Connolly.
This dense housing solution transforms a challenging urban site into a vibrant living environment that delivers exceptional affordability in response to dramatic housing cost increases locally. At its core purpose, this “first of” co-housing project was envisioned to bridge the gap for the highest-need students, creating rent structures as low as $600/month to allow students access to quality and affordable housing that is commensurate in quality with all campus housing offerings.
“As architects we have an opportunity to create healthy and safe environments for students to live, learn and grow,” says Mithun principal and project manager Simone Barth. “Topping out this project marks UCLA’s commitment to create affordable and dignified on – campus housing for every student.
Each floor contains three distinct cooking stations, and each residential unit is designed with extra space to accommodate personal secure food storage. This model will help to overcome food insecurity by allowing students the choice to bypass traditional meal plans and bond with other students through food preparation and gathering. A ringed circulation system ensures no residents are isolated at the end of a hallway, and provides equitable access to a study commons and kitchen area — the key communal program block that unites students through gathering and food.
At the building’s heart is an open-air courtyard oasis that provides daylight access to units, connects students with nature and affords respite from urban noise and activity. The design is targeting LEED Gold certification.
The team enjoyed amazing views over the campus and to the mountains beyond from the 8th floor roof.
Construction is expected to reach completion in spring 2027.
Mithun is providing integrated architecture, interior design and landscape architecture services. The project team includes DK Engineer, Corp., civil; Nabih Youssef & Associates, structural; Glumac, MEP; M.Thrailkill.Architect, specifications; TBD Consultants, cost estimating; Newson Brown Acoustics, acoustics; Webb Design, food consultant; Woden Fire LLC, code; Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design, lighting; 4EA Building Science, waterproofing; and Sweeney & Associates, irrigation consultant. PCL Construction is the general contractor.
