Developer: American Campus Communities
Architect: KTGY
UC Irvine shows off new Plaza Verde, its ‘greenest’ student housing
Oct 16, 2019, 6:46pm PST
Lilly Nguyen
The grass is now greener on the other side of Arroyo Drive, and so are the buildings, even if not on the outside.
UC Irvine’s newest student residence hall — named Plaza Verde (or Green Square in English) for its focus as a “green” community — was officially unveiled at a ceremony Wednesday afternoon, about a month after its first residents moved in.
With 1,441 beds — all occupied — and five stories of breathing room, the new facility includes all-electric outdoor grills, fitness centers, a multipurpose room, recreational lounges, a kitchen and cafe, 18 study rooms and a 15,000-square-foot community center. It also has 760 spaces for bicycles and a 523-space parking garage.
The landscape at UCI Plaza Verde is divided into six main zones across the former surface parking lot and bus storage. Internal Courtyards, Community Center and Activity lawn with Outdoor Kitchen lay within the heart of the development.
Additionally, the Campus streetscapes on California and Arroyo Streets and the Community Center Parking improve upon and create a campus-like experience for student circulation.
The seven internal courtyards each contain a unique character and sense of space. Using a mixtures of land-forms and layouts, the courtyards provide a wide range of uses and social recreation. The landscape and furniture design aim to provide a sense of scale, making the user feel as comfortable and safe as they would in their own back yard.
Read the full article and see more images on Forbes: https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2019-10-16/uc-irvine-shows-off-new-plaza-verde-its-greenest-student-housing
