This thesis reimagines a new student housing typology in order to foster connectivity and social interactions within and outside of the community. Traditionally, campus housing has always been five minutes or less from the campus. But cities have grown and the campus housing has been pushed away, especially in dense urban contexts. Students are less likely to get housing because of cost of living and competition with professionals. Universities do not have enough housing to provide and because of the student population growth, the number of usable classroom spaces on campus has largely remained fixed.

My design creates a new student housing typology at UC Berkeley where the programs of school and classrooms are combined with the living spaces that are also affordable for the students. The aim is to respond to today’s student needs through the creation of environments that foster connectivity and social interactions while encouraging students to meet others, engage with peers, and connect with the larger student population within and outside of their universities. Students ought to be able to worry a bit less and focus more on school.

An open courtyard engages the site and makes a connection with the adjacent building. Housing units are lifted to the top floors for primary light access. The superstructure rises to a continuous roof that connects all the programs together; the wind cones are structural as well as enabling vertical circulation and natural ventilation from the interior courtyard. Also, the exterior glass from the wind cone provides solar heat blocking while remaining transparent for views. Each housing unit is quite small while having a standardized set of designs. This provides the single housing units with privacy in their room while being adaptable. These modular units are very well-suited for building supportive housing for the students.