Weaving Community into the Landscape

UC Santa Barbara San Benito Student Housing

Santa Barbara, CA

Uniting Students, Courtyards and Views

Coastal breezes are channeled through a collection of slender residential buildings that define a series of walkways and courtyard gardens. A central pedestrian promenade unfolds as a gentle series of bridges and terraces that stitches the multi-building complex together as a cohesive community and offers panoramic views of the adjacent estuary and Santa Ynez Mountains.

Layered Community Spaces

A two-story plinth spans the site’s 20-foot grade change and anchors the residential buildings with amenities and indoor/outdoor spaces that support independent student living and wellness. A key focus is a Student Center pavilion, featuring flexible spaces under a dynamic sawtooth canopy and large clerestory windows that invite natural light deep into the space.

Sustainable, Coastal Living on Campus

Each building is angled and staggered to capture natural light, ocean breezes and northward views of the Goleta Slough and coastal range. The LEED Platinum target design leverages Santa Barbara’s temperate climate with passive ventilation, and diverse indoor/outdoor community and study spaces that expand student life program functionality into the landscape.