Student accommodation with a sustainable school of thought

UC Santa Barbara, San Joaquin Villages, Calaveras and Ramona Courts

Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Designed by Kevin Daly Architects, the San Joaquin Villages Calaveras and Ramona Courts project comprises 45,000ft² 2 and 3-bedroom low rise apartments including study rooms, lounges, kitchens, and ancillary spaces. The apartments are connected by external circulation and community spaces to encourage interaction throughout the day.

A 25,000ft² din­ing com­mons serves the entire stu­dent pop­u­la­tion of the broader San Joaquin hous­ing com­plex that sits at the northern part of campus.

Achieved 57% energy savings compared to the Energy Star Portfolio Manager Baseline for University Residence Halls

14 tons of waste were diverted from landfill

LEED for Homes Platinum certified

Challenge

The challenge on this project was to incorporate sustainable strategies that targeted LEED Platinum certification throughout the complexes. We needed to consider how to successfully reduce energy and water consumption to achieve the client’s aspirations.

Solution

The Calaveras and Ramona Courts project achieved a combined measured site EUI (kbtu/sqft) of 25 (electricity and natural gas) between June 2017 and August 2018. This represents a 57% savings compared to the Energy Star Portfolio Manager Baseline for University Residence Halls. The project mechanical systems were designed to optimize occupant comfort and minimize energy use. The climate of Santa Barbara is ideal for passive cooling and therefore no active cooling is used in any of the living spaces, recreation areas, or study rooms.

Building materials were also carefully selected, such as resilient sheet flooring, which is comprised of 50% post-industrial recycled material. Municipal recycled water is treated and conveyed to the entire project site, providing 100% of the site’s annual irrigation needs with 2,722,934 gallons of non-potable water. A total 14 tons of waste were diverted from the landfill.

Beyond reduction in energy and water consumption, the project’s health-focused living spaces and amenities were designed with the goals of reducing embodied and operational carbon and protecting and restoring the surrounding wetlands ecosystem.

Value

The design team’s drive to meet UC Santa Barbara’s goals led the project to achieve LEED Platinum for all new buildings, and a pending Gold Certification for LEED Neighborhood Development, the first in the University of California System.