Recently Completed Projects

Project rendering

As part of a Central Utilities Plant expansion, a new chiller plant was built to provide additional efficient, water-based cooling capacity throughout the campus. The chiller plant is powered by carbon-free electric power and includes two chillers, two cooling towers, associated pumps, piping and all required electrical distribution systems. This new plant, necessary to accommodate campus growth, is located east of Galbraith Hall and south of York Hall.

Project Details

• Capital Program Management Liaison: Amy Hsu
• Executive Design Professional: Mascari Warner Dinh
• Contractor: Whiting-Turner
• Completed: Summer 2024
• Location: Revelle College

Project rendering

The fire station, a first for the campus, was built as a partnership between the City of San Diego and UC San Diego, with the goal of serving the needs of the growing university, as well as the local surrounding community. The fire station, located near the intersection of Genesee Avenue and North Torrey Pines Road, will enable faster response times and provide vital emergency services that will benefit the UC San Diego community and the many families and individuals who live in the surrounding community. It is approximately 10,500 gross square feet and complies with the City of San Diego Fire Station and UC San Diego construction standards. The new station will accommodate the standard fire station crew of 12 personnel per 24 hour shift and include three drive through fire apparatus vehicle bays, administrative offices, kitchen and dining area, day room, reception/watch room, training room, wash room, exercise room and crew quarters.

Press

• Fire Station at UC San Diego Approved by San Diego City Council
• UCSD reaches deal with San Diego for on-campus fire station

Project Details

• City Project Manager: Monica Arredondo
• UC San Diego Project Liaison: Worth Archambault
• Executive Design Professional: Miller Hull
• Contractor: Level 10
• Completed: Summer 2024
• Location: Intersection of Genesee Avenue and North Torrey Pines Road
• LEED Certification Goal: The project is designed to meet LEED Silver 4.0 and the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan.
• Website: https://www.sandiego.gov/cip/projectinfo/UCSDFirestation

The project replaced an existing 670 square-foot modular structure with a new larger approximately 1,400 square-foot modular structure. The reserve serves as a base of operations for environmental research activities to analyze and observe wildlife, including training students in a hands-on science and environmental stewardship experience. A range of sustainability practices for design and operations were included in the budgeting, programming and design effort for the project to provide a facility that is environmentally friendly and sustainable. For more project information, visit the Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve website.

Project Details

• Project Manager: Megan Francis
• Executive Design Professional: Architects Mosher Drew
• Contractor: DPR Construction
• Completed: Spring 2024
• Location: Mission Bay, San Diego, CA

Project rendering

The Data Science Institute (DSI) relocated from the San Diego Supercomputer building to the Data Science Building, formerly known as the Literature Building, which is afour -story structure, located in Warren College. This building was first occupied in 1990 by the Literature Department which has since moved to the North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood. Additionally, the Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC) will continue to temporarily occupy a suite on the second floor of this building until it can move to the new Triton Center.

The project scope was to repurpose all four floors of the existing Literature Building as a new space for the DSI. The project included renovation and updating the entire building (interior and exterior), a new conference/meeting space, new building utilities, new landscaping and outdoor areas, DSI branding and signage and accessibility upgrades. Restrooms were also updated and gender inclusive restrooms added.

Project Details

• Project Manager: Rick Lyons
• Executive Design Professional: Kevin deFreitas Architects
• Contractor: Turner Construction
• Completed: Spring 2024
• Location: Literature Building
• LEED Certification Goals: Certified

Project rendering

The Shiley Eye Institute is a three-story building, constructed in 1991 and located in East Campus Health Sciences neighborhood. The building housed clinical and research space; researchers relocated to the Viterbi Family Vision Research Center.

The Shiley Eye Institute was originally designed to serve 20,000 patients annually; now, more than 100,000 patients are seen at the Institute each year, necessitating the need for additional clinical space. Due to growing patient load, the project converted vacated research and office space on the second floor to clinical space, including exam rooms, imaging areas, utility rooms and clinical support rooms.

In addition to the second-floor renovation, the project included upgrades to building infrastructure and modifications to improve accessibility and path of travel to meet current building codes. A Tier 3 seismic evaluation was completed to determine the required seismic improvements needed to bring the building to a SPR IV or better, in accordance with the UC Seismic Policy. The seismic retrofit updated the rating to  SPR IV. The project also included repair of existing water intrusion problems and a minimal architectural refresh of the building exterior.

Project Details

• Project Manager: Frances Angelborg
• Executive Design Professional: TEF Design
• Contractor: Align Builders
• Completed: Winter 2024
• Location: East Campus

Project rendering

Located in the Revelle College Neighborhood on the main campus, York Hall is an essential resource for teaching and research at UC San Diego. The project provided seismic improvements to York Hall, a 134,000 square-foot concrete structure built in 1966.

Project Details

• Project Manager: Robert Northrup
• Executive Design Professional: LPA, Inc.
• Contractor: PCL Construction Services, Inc.
• Anticipated Completion: Fall 2023
• Location: Revelle College

Originally built in 1989, Price Center West is located within University Centers at UC San Diego and serves as a central hub for campus dining and services. With a growing student population and aging facilities, Student Affairs University Center identified a need to revitalize the Price Center West dining commons, enhancing the interior and exterior dining areas. The dining experience, capacity and flow integration to the outdoor plaza were essential elements of the project.

This project renovated approximately 7,000 square feet of the interior food court, including common dining space, restrooms and access between Price Center West and East. The second phase renovated approximately 25,000 square feet of the exterior plaza with improvements to circulation, storm water treatment, landscaping and new canopy structure adjacent to Price Center West food court for an enhanced outdoor dining experience.

Project Details

• Project Manager: Robert Northrop
• Executive Design Professional: Reyes Architects
• Contractor: Swinerton Builders
• Completed: Fall 2023
• Location: University Centers

Project rendering

This beautifully designed dining facility is the cornerstone of The Eleanore Roosevelt College community. In 2021, the addition of Seventh College to the north increased the surrounding community with additional undergraduate students. Another driving factor of this renovation was to represent all students, celebrate diversity and embrace culture with unique food offerings, including Black Diaspora.

Additional features include a full-service coffee house within the current dining room. This new espresso bar offers a full coffee menu, pastries and some retail packaged products. Upgraded seating throughout this space with an eclectic mix of materials, finishes and style, along with upgrades to the interior lighting system with energy-efficient LEDs are also considered.

Exterior improvements included creating a visually appealing path on the south side of the building leading from the street to the main entrance, introducing a new connection from Seventh College to the north. Improvements and enhancements to the outdoor patio/amphitheater seating areas with fun and comfortable furniture and a mix-use of materials was included in the design.

Project Details

• Project Manager: Keith Whaley
• Executive Design Professional: Hanna Gabriel Wells (HGW)
• Contractor: Suffolk Construction
• Completed: Fall 2023
• Location: Eleanor Roosevelt College
• LEED Certification Goal: Certified

As the campus has expanded facilities over the last several years, campus-wide infrastructure upgrades were necessary to provide adequate water and fire services to create redundancy in our domestic water systems. Construction included demolition of surface improvements, excavation and installation of new domestic water pipe and appurtenances, and replacement of surface improvements. 

Project Details

• Project Manager: Aaron Cooley
• Phase: Construction
• Completed: Spring 2023
• Locations: Northpoint Lane, Ridge Walk, Hopkins Lane (site map)

This open-air amphitheater for students, faculty, staff and visitors will be used for formal and informal events. When not used for events, the amphitheater will be used for outdoor recreation as a part of the Pepper Canyon West Living and Learning Neighborhood. This new space enhances the experience for people arriving on campus via the Blue Line Trolley and includes pedestrian walkways and landscaping improvements to the area.

Press

• Daniel and Phyllis Epstein Donate $10 Million for State-of-the-Art Amphitheater at UC San Diego
• UC San Diego Announces Inaugural Artists Performing at the Epstein Family Amphitheater
• Epstein Family Amphitheater Debut Events to Showcase Talent from UC San Diego and Beyond

Project Details

• Project Manager: Bryan Macias
• Executive Design Professional: Safdie Rabines Architects
• Contractor: BNBuilders
• Completed: Fall 2022
• Location: Pepper Canyon
• LEED Certification Goals:
  • Amphitheater: Gold
  • Athletic Training Room: Gold

The project converted Building D, and the basement portion of Building A, from the original construction of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southwest Fisheries Science Center built in 1963 on Scripps land. In 2013, NOAA built a new facility across the street and the land reverted to the university.

The Marine Conservation and Technology Facility is the physical center for the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (CMBC), which is poised to take a greatly increased role in the global arena of science for solutions in marine biodiversity and conservation. It has modern classroom facilities that enable the development of novel training programs, including professional short courses and problem-solving workshops. The basement is devoted almost entirely to a saltwater research aquarium that has chilled, ambient and warm seawater pumped directly from the Pacific Ocean from the Scripps Pier seawater system. These facilities provide undergraduate and graduate coursework in marine biodiversity, conservation, resource management, advanced statistical analysis and associated disciplines.

Project Details

• Program Manager: Kacy Wander
• Executive Design Professional: Safdie Rabines Architects
• Contractor: PCL Construction and Planning
• Completed: Spring 2022
• Location: Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus, north end
• LEED Certification Goal: Gold

In an effort to meet the needs of its growing student population, the Jacobs School of Engineering added a free-standing building that features 200,000 gross-square-feet of laboratories, classrooms, faculty offices, meeting space, an auditorium and café. The building is designed to foster collaborations between various fields of research via shared laboratories and work areas. The new building makes room for more faculty to improve student-to-teacher ratio and is connected to the university’s existing pedestrian paths and bike lanes.

Press

UC San Diego Celebrates Franklin Antonio Hall Groundbreaking.

Project Details

• Program Manager: Mark Rowland
• Project Manager: Abigail Grass
• Phase: Construction
• Executive Design Professional: Perkins+Will
• Contractor: McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
• Completed: Spring 2022
• Location: Warren College Neighborhood
• LEED Certification: Platinum

Project rendering

The City of San Diego selected Holland Partner Group to redevelop a full-block site at the northwest corner of the intersection of Park Boulevard and Market Street in downtown San Diego. The redevelopment project includes apartments, retail, parking and warm shell space. In June 2017, the UC Regents authorized the campus to purchase approximately 66,000 gross square feet of this warm shell space to create a UC San Diego location at this property. The property has been entitled through the City as part of the larger mixed-use, high-density development and the City is acting as the responsible agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The site is strategically located in the heart of downtown San Diego’s East Village neighborhood, clustered with educational institutions as well as firms and entrepreneurs specializing in innovation, technology and the creative arts. The center will become a key intersection where people, ideas and plans that draw on the rich resources of a global research university can come together to address the bigger question: what can San Diego become? The downtown center was designed with a purposeful mix of public, meeting, arts and educational spaces for civic engagement, learning, collaboration, and cultural experiences unlike anywhere else in the region.

UC San Diego will convene an unprecedented array of talent and resources, from local to global, at the downtown center, allowing individuals, organizations, students, staff and faculty to build new productive relationships and create opportunities to improve our community—economically, culturally, socially and for the greater civic good. The shell building includes underground parking, storage, a grand spiral staircase, offices, computer lab, classrooms, dance/yoga studio, theater space, critical listening room, bistro café and LED video wall and is a LEED Silver certified project featuring a green roof.

Press

• New Kid on the Block
• Creating Great 21st-Century Cities
• UC San Diego and Holland Partner Group Break Ground on New Downtown Development
• Making a Mark in Downtown
• UC San Diego Extension to Open Innovative Cultural and Education Hub in Downtown San Diego

Project Details

• Project Manager: Jason Berge
• Phase: Construction
• Executive Design Professional: Gensler
• Contractor: Bycor
• Completied: Spring 2022 
• Location: Downtown San Diego – intersection of Park Boulevard and Market Street
• LEED Certification Goal: Silver

Ridge Walk is one of the primary non-vehicular circulation features of the UC San Diego campus. With completion of the North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood (permanent home for Sixth College) and Seventh College, the north/south alignment of Ridge Walk traverses six of seven colleges on West Campus. The Ridge Walk improvements project creates an enhanced pedestrian and multi-modal experience, with an emphasis on Ridge Walk identity and wayfinding between Muir College and Revelle College. The design for Ridge Walk improvements (Muir to Revelle) effectively balances the historic district character of Muir College and Revelle College while creating a fresh new look to this important circulation corridor. Improvements also enhance the connection between Ridge Walk and Library Walk near Mandeville Center.

Press

• Bridging Campus Communities
• American Public Works Association San Diego Chapter 2023 Transportation Project of the Year Award

Project Details

• Project Manager: Roland Bartsch
• Phase: Construction
• Executive Design Professional: Spurlock Landscape
• Contractor: DPR
• Completed: Fall 2021
• Location: Muir – Revelle College

Oceans cover 71% of the earth and exchanges between the ocean and atmosphere drive both weather and climate. The Scripps Ocean-Atmosphere Research Simulator (SOARS) enables laboratory-scale simulations of the ocean-atmosphere boundary, reproducing the complex and interacting systems of wind, waves and microbial processes. SOARS consists of a 36 meter long, 2.4 meter wide by 2.4 meter deep seawater channel and a recirculating atmosphere system to mimic ocean waves and create winds up to gale force conditions. Thermal controls for the seawater and air enable simulation of tropical to polar conditions, including ice-ocean interactions.

SOARS is the only instrument in the world capable of studying the current and future states of the ocean, atmosphere and ocean-atmosphere exchanges while reproducing the physics, chemistry and biology of the ocean. The ability to accurately reproduce the properties of the air-sea boundary and simulate the microbial loop in a controlled laboratory setting encourages interdisciplinary studies, but the biological, chemical and physical controls provided by SOARS also enable focused research within each discipline. SOARS is housed inside the Hydraulics Laboratory (HLab) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus, which is associated with UC San Diego. SOARS is being developed under a grant from the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation Program.

Project Details

• Project Manager: Megan Francis
• Executive Design Professional: AeroLab/CRB
• Completed: Fall 2021
• Contractor: Align Builders
• Location: Scripps Institution of Oceanography

This 74,000-square-foot collaborative facility aims to encourage new ideas, products and services that contribute to UC San Diego’s entrepreneurial spirit. Specifically, the goal is to encourage more collaboration between Jacobs School of Engineering, Visual Arts, the UC San Diego Design Lab, Cognitive Science, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, the Alumni Association and other campus departments. This goal will be accomplished through multipurpose building space that can be easily reconfigured for various programs, meetings and studio learning.

The new facility will become a center for design and innovation activities, which are currently distributed across the campus. Adjacent to the new Light Rail Transit (LRT) station, the Design and Innovation Building will provide a new entrance experience to the campus and serve as a beacon for students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Press

Destination: San Diego – Campus breaks ground on region’s newest innovation and entertainment neighborhood.

Project Details

• Project Manager: Bryan Macias
• Executive Design Professional: EHDD Architecture
• Contractor: BNBuilders
• Completed: Summer 2021
• Location: Pepper Canyon Neighborhood
• LEED Certification Goal: Gold rating