Davis, California
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has exceeded its housing capacity goal with the opening of its newest housing complex, Orchard Park. Driven in part by the increase in rent for off-campus housing, the city of Davis and the county of Yolo entered a memorandum of understanding in 2018 that included the goal of the UC Davis campus providing 15,000 beds by 2023 to help students access housing.
Opened in August 2023, Orchard Park offers 1,500 beds in total. There are 189 two-bedroom apartments for graduate students with families and 1,122 beds configured in studio, two-bedroom, and four-bedroom apartments for single graduate students and undergraduates. Overall, the 19-acre complex encompasses 11 residence halls (each one four stories tall); two community centers (the Tree House is tailored to families, and the Greenhouse is tailored to single students) that include study space, workout areas, kitchen spaces, meeting spaces, lounges, patios, and a playground; and paths for both walkers and cyclists that weave between the buildings throughout the property. All of this contributes to making it feel like a neighborhood.
Other successes for Orchard Park include the lower cost of rent made possible by key partners reducing the construction costs. Mike Sheehan, associate vice chancellor of housing, dining, and divisional operations at UC Davis, notes that the ability to offer lower rent to students is one of his favorite things to share about the new housing. “The Orchard Park project is coming online with rent points that are 30% below comparable projects within the market. This is a direct result of significant planning and design intentionality.” He explains that the project came to fruition through a public-private partnership among UC Davis, Collegiate Housing (a nonprofit financial firm that provided tax-exempt municipal bonds), and developer The Michael’s Organization. In tandem with the financing, they were able to keep construction costs down, which boosted their ability to offer lower rent prices. “The project utilized an integrated design-build construction methodology and a panelized light gauge steel system called Prescient. This system yielded increased efficiency for construction and reduced cost.”
Another favorite feature of this project for Sheehan is the green space. “The Orchard Park project has struck a great balance of density on site with green space. This balance is accentuated by the preservation of many mature cork oak trees resulting in a positive feeling of grounding within the neighborhood.” Adding to this greenness are sustainability efforts they hope will earn them a Gold LEED rating. Solar shades and solar screens keep heat gain at a minimum, and a 756-kilowatt solar energy system offsets a big portion of their energy consumption while heat exchange technology provides hot water. Finally, the parking area is almost completely covered with solar field covers, and electric vehicle chargers are provided for nearly 10% of the parking spots. — Camille Perlman
Spotlight is your chance to show off recent construction or renovation projects. Member institutions and architects are encouraged to share details about hall features, related programs, and how they connect to the overall housing mission as well as photographs of the completed building. Share your success stories.