AC Martin served as the owner’s design consultant for the new yakʔitʸutʸu Student Housing project at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The design consists of 11 four-five story buildings totaling approximately 950,000 SF and containing 1,400 beds; including two parking structures totaling approximately 325,000 SF.

The buildings are designed—both internally and externally—to create a strong sense of community; the overarching goal of the project was to increase interaction and exchange amongst the residents.

Housing Buildings and Site Design:

• Schematic design is based on groups of 50 students with one RA, forming “extended families”. Each “family” has a shared living/study room, located adjacent to students’ path of travel into their clusters in order to attract their attention as they enter and encourage interaction/socializing/group work.
• Clusters are designed as one-and two-level modules to provide spatial variety within the large community and offer a variety of room types for both two and four people. They incorporate a unique alcove design that allows students a variety of ways to arrange furniture.
• Each building has its own outdoor space, easily accessed from the front doors, and provides a green, courtyard, plaza or lawn.
• Site arrangement creates large open-space areas for activities and group events, with circulation pathways that cause residents to continually pass through the most populated areas, increasing opportunities for interaction and exchange.
• A café is situated at the north of the site to activate the site’s central space and create a connection to the existing food service venue across State Street.