PROGRAM: Buildings A and B are comprised of residence halls equipped with amenities such as fitness, study rooms, and community hubs for students to gather. Building C is a mixed-use building with residences floating over administrative offices, Goody’s café and market, glassblowing lab, and an E-sports center. There are over 2,400 beds in total between Buildings A, B, and C.

Building E houses the Economics Building and anchors the northern edge of the Ridge Walk gateway, weaving rooftop classrooms with ocean views and a basic needs center.

DESIGN INTENT: The $536M Ridge Walk North Living & Learning Neighborhood is home to Thurgood Marshall College. The long history and legacy of Thurgood Marshall continues in the form of an activist culture for its students, celebrating its values of equality and social justice. The architectural expression is reflective of traditional craft and culture, looking to some of the most intricate yet timeless art forms such as basket weaving and garment making to inspire a solution that weaves together ideas, perspectives, and expressions.  

SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES: The project’s nearly all-electric design will allow UC San Diego to lead the UC System toward a more sustainable future. High-performance strategies include 100% non-potable water for irrigation, increased access to views and daylight, and the use of durable materials that reduce global warming potential. A high-performance façade coupled with an efficient shading strategy bring useful daylight to the academic and residential spaces. Every residential floor is naturally ventilated. This project is targeting LEED Gold.

SITE DESIGN: 6 to 17-story buildings emersed in ocean views provide flexible outdoor spaces for students to engage. Building orientation is perpendicular to the 50-foot slope to provide equitable access to ocean breezes and a clear line of sight from Ridge Walk to Geisel Library.

A HOME FOR ONE, A HOME FOR ALL: The design of the residential towers celebrates equity by supporting and welcoming all students, each with a distinct identity providing the variety and differentiation needed for a project of this scale. On top of each building, a roof deck supports diverse activities while providing spectacular ocean views.

MATERIALITY EXPRESSION: Reflective of traditional craft and culture, the project’s color and material palette integrate welcoming and timeless elements, connecting to the campus’ historic Eucalyptus grove; inspirational in color, texture, verticality, and patterning. Modern reinterpretation of historic finishing traditions and numerous murals add beauty to wall surfaces throughout.

SUMMARY: The Woven Home merges the cultural response with the site response to create a vibrant, mixed-use Living & Learning Neighborhood. The key to the success of this community is the complimentary interweaving of the multiple uses to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
This carefully curated interaction between program, circulation, exterior spaces, interior spaces, materiality, massing, and landscape is tailor-made for Thurgood Marshall College.