Loaded with sustainable design features, including drip irrigation systems, high-performance glazing, and distinctive sunscreens made of recycled plastic lumber (pictured), the University of California, San Diego's new five-story, 141,000-sf Student Services Center has become the green hub of the scenic campus in La Jolla. The center also anchors the heart of the university, defining and connecting three different campus open spaces.
The design by local architect Rob Wellington Quigley, FAIA, utilizes the area's abundant sun for natural lighting and to blend indoor spaces with outdoor areas as a way of increasing usable space. The facility's 300-seat multipurpose room, for instance, features 16-foot rollup windows that open onto the courtyard. The design scheme incorporates natural, unfinished materials, open ceilings with exposed mechanical and electrical systems, and residential-quality finishes.
McCarthy Building, St. Louis, was the GC.
