University of California, Irvine, Mesa Court Oso Tower

The new Mesa Court housing complex exemplifies UCI’s commitment to offering affordable housing options that support student success by incorporating state-of-the-art community spaces designed to promote wellbeing, connection and sustainability.

We provided structural design services to Mithun for the project. Our goal was to engineer a structure that delivers the most benefits for the design of the five-story residence hall, which provides 424 beds and common areas for undergraduate students. After careful consideration, a concrete slab, column and shear wall system proved most advantageous. This system provides superior structural resilience, durability and programming flexibility.

highlights

• The inherent stiffness of concrete addresses floor deflection and vibration considerations and is an ideal material to mitigate sound in and around the living spaces and hallway corridors.
• The reinforced concrete shear walls provide a robust seismic and wind force-resisting system that offers substantial strength and resilience, which is critical to addressing the high seismicity of the campus location. Concrete shear wall buildings also meet the campuswide UC Irvine Construction Standards and the project DPP requirements.
• In addition, the PT slabs allow for a thinner structural depth versus other solutions (e.g., structural steel, wood framing, and/or or mild reinforced concrete), providing taller ceiling heights, unit layout flexibility and reduced concrete material volume.