The University of California, San Diego Nuevo West Graduate Student Housing is a $151 million mixed-use residential community that totals 441,788-square-feet within two residential buildings and a market. The Nuevo West residential community provides a total of 884 new beds for graduate students and families of patients being treated at the nearby UCSD Medical Center. Designed to be a vibrant portal adjacent to the pedestrian and bicycle bridge that links the university’s East and West campuses, Nuevo West includes an active mix of amenities to serve is diverse resident population and other campus visitors including a marketplace, café, activity and study rooms, music practice rooms, central plaza, community garden, outdoor cooking and gathering space, gardens, parking and a rooftop perch.
Design-Build Done Right® Teaming Delivers for UCSD Nuevo West
Nuevo West serves a blended community of graduate students and patient families—with wide-ranging needs for privacy, social cohesion and connection. The project’s mix of shared amenities are designed to bring together patient families and graduate students (many in medical/health programs) to exchange perspectives and practice empathy in their daily lives. From a social and economic perspective, Nuevo West offers critical housing affordability for students (rental rates 20% below market). This LEED Gold project has a positive climate impact through reductions in energy and water consumption, materials selection and construction recycling.
Coordinating construction on an active campus was a challenge for this team but maintaining constant communication with stakeholders ensured a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved— including the greater UCSD community. The importance of teaming and choosing the right partners cannot be underestimated. The Nuevo West team was structured with the same team members from their 2019 DBIA award-winning UCSD project. Building upon their experiences helped to improve the team’s processes during design and construction of Nuevo West.
Design-Build Team
| Client/Owner: | University of California, San Diego |
| Design-Build Firm: | Hensel Phelps |
| Architect: | Mithun |
| Engineer: | DCI Engineers (Structural Engineer) |
| Specialty Contractors: | Atlas Mechanical (Design-Build Mechanical Subcontractor), Helix Electric (Design-Build Electrical Subcontractor), HPS Mechanical (Design-Build Mechanical/Plumbing Subcontractor), Michael Wall Engineers (Electrical Engineer), Nevell Group (Drywall & Framing Subcontractor) |
| Construction Duration: | 26 Months |
| Project Cost: | $151,932,731.00 |
