Cohousing at the Campus Edge

UCLA Gayley Towers

Los Angeles, CA

Novel Approaches for Student Needs

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. The innovative cohousing approach features shared food preparation and vertically integrated community clusters (mixing first-year to upper-division students) to address food insecurity and support social cohesion.

Food as Foundation

Food is fundamental to student success, with roughly 23% of recent U.S. college students having experienced food insecurity per USGAO. To address this challenge, each floor contains three communal cooking stations with the university providing essential ingredients and space for personal food storage in residential units. Adjacent study lounges and dining spaces encourage community gathering for meals and other activities.

Shining a Light on Student Wellness

A ringed circulation system ensures that no residents are isolated at the end of a hallway and provides equitable access to communal social areas. At the 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.