Pepper Canyon Student Housing
Over the past 45 years, A.O. Reed has developed a trusted relationship with UCSD. From constructing state-of-the-art laboratories to multiple-acre interdisciplinary environments, A.O. Reed is proud to be part of the teams that have transformed the UCSD campus. Located at the heart of La Jolla and University City, finding affordable housing is a constant struggle for UCSD students. To provide a solution, the university constructed two of the tallest college residence halls in the US. One tower measures 22 stories, and the other measures 23 stories. These towers surpass most college campuses, with the exception of Pace University in New York. Our teams have established a working relationship filled with innovation, communication, and collaboration. To meet the UC system decarbonization plan, we have investigated revolutionary ways to construct buildings that will eliminate fossil fuels from their buildings.
During the project’s pre-construction phase, our team investigated solutions to meet the project’s budget while maintaining the schedule and high quality. A.O. Reed provided unique value engineering ideas to meet the budget. This project was able to reduce the construction schedule by utilizing “PODs.” PODs are prefabricated bathrooms made off-site from a single vendor. These bathroom sections include fully furnished framing, drywall, tile, pipes, wiring, fixtures, mirrors, counter-tops, etc. The vendor inspects and tests potential problems through a strict quality control method before leaving the factory. Once the PODs are shipped from the factory onto the jobsite, it’s an easy hook-up with no clashes from other trades. This is the largest and first POD project that the UC system has built. This process reduces onsite labor and can save up to 20% of the construction schedule. By being a fully electrified project, this follows the UCOP’s zero carbon initiative. The Pepper Canyon Student Housing Project is paving the way for innovative construction processes in addition to being a LEED Platinum project.
The two towers are classified as the North and South Buildings. The North Building holds 690 beds and the South Building holds 627 beds. Since this was a ground-up construction, we collaborated with the project team to ensure the design and construction were code-compliant for the mechanical and plumbing systems. In addition to installing the PODs, we also designed and installed 32 stick-built kitchens and 62 stick-built bathrooms. The stick-built units are not POD units where A.O. Reed installed the necessary systems, including in-wall plumbing and fixtures. The first floor of both towers have retail spaces that are served by VRF Split Systems. The towers’ living units are naturally ventilated with electric space heaters. Some heaters go up to 10 feet to provide the required heating. We installed domestic hot water heaters that use refrigerant instead of gas and supply the hot water throughout the building. We also installed expansion tanks and booster pumps to help supply the living spaces. Laundry rooms have water and waste hook-ups for the washing machines, dryers, and waste ducts, as well as split systems with refrigerant. On the roof, we installed stair pressurization fans, exhaust fans, and condensing units for the VRF systems that supply air conditioning.
This project provides 1,317 beds for UCSD’s transfer students. Studies have shown that students who live on campus have a higher GPA and engagement in university activities. This project helps provide more living spaces so that the students can have economic relief and thrive socially and academically. The project was completed in Fall 2024. A.O. Reed turned over another iconic project at the UCSD campus, meeting the strict budget and schedule.
