The construction of a new student housing complex called Gayley Towers has been announced by the University of California (UCLA).
For the redevelopment of the towers, an existing residential building owned by the university at 565 Gayley Avenue, the university has started the environmental review process. To make way for a new eight-storey building, the current 57,000-square-foot building, which has 51 apartments and 100 student beds, would be demolished. Additionally, the 112,000-square-foot building with “co-living” style apartments and shared spaces for cooking, eating, studying, and socializing will also be replaced.
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A total of 187 bedrooms would be included in the new University of California’s Gayley Towers, with triple occupancy rooms providing 545 beds. Plans call for 358 of those beds to be set aside for low-income undergraduate students. Noteworthy, state money of $35 million has been provided to UCL. This will enable specified beds to be rented out for $600 per month. Priced at market rates would be the remaining 184 beds.
University of California’s Gayley Towers design overview
The environmental assessment describes the project at Gayley Towers, which is being designed by Mithun, as having a doughnut form. As a result, this will allow an interior courtyard to be exposed to the weather. Further, the common areas on the ground floor would be arranged to surround the courtyard. They will thus form a continuous space with the entryway.
A modern building made of concrete and covered in materials like plaster, porcelain, metal, and glass is shown in the illustrations. The building’s two masses would also be separated by a central glass tower, which would also contain additional social rooms.
The environmental study indicates that the project might start building as early as 2024. The University of California’s Gayley Towers could be ready for students by the start of the 2026 fall quarter. No on-site parking has been planned, similar to other recent student housing buildings created by UCLA.
