Cal Poly takes a modular approach to deliver 4,200 beds in nine new student housing buildings

In San Luis Obispo, Calif., California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) has commenced work on a student housing development that will provide 4,200 beds in nine new buildings, enabling all second-year students to live on campus.

With design by Steinberg Hart Architects, the $1 billion-plus project marks the first large-scale use of modular construction within the California State University system, according to FullStack Modular, which will manufacture the units offsite.

FullStack Modular’s volumetric modular system, which is all steel and fully integrated, will reduce costs, construction time, and environmental impact while maintaining superior quality, according to the company’s press statement. By taking a modular approach, Cal Poly aims to address the challenges of rising construction costs and the state’s lack of affordable housing.

“Affordable housing is such a big problem, especially on the West Coast. We need to think differently about how we approach housing and continue to improve the process,” Mike McCormick, AIA, VP of facilities management and development at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, said in the statement. “FullStack Modular’s innovative approach is … a solution that not only meets Cal Poly’s needs but is transportable to other housing projects across the country.”

Production of the prototype units began in FullStack Modular’s LA factory in January. Manufacturing for the project is scheduled to begin in late winter 2025. The entire development, which includes both new modular buildings and renovations of existing halls, will be finished in phases by 2030, with completion of the first phase serving second-year students expected by fall 2026.

Each residence hall room and communal space will be fabricated at FullStack Modular’s offsite factory in Carlson, Calif., then brought to campus and assembled on-site. This will help minimize the disruption typically caused by such a large construction project—an important consideration for Cal Poly’s small community.

The residential units will be organized mostly in three-bedroom suites, with each bedroom designed for double occupancy. Each suite will include a shared living space and two bathrooms. The buildings will include a large community space, study lounges, kitchens, and quiet student spaces.

The project will be designed to achieve LEED Gold certification.

On the project team: Steinberg Hart Architects (design architect and architect of record), Arup (SMEP engineer), The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company (general contractor).