By David M. Greenwald
Executive Editor
McCarthy Building Companies Inc. and architecture firm Gensler announced this month a significant new project at UC Davis—the Segundo Infill Housing project—which they say is “aimed at providing sustainable, high-quality residence halls for first-year students.”
The project is tabbed to cost $77 million and will be rolled out in three phases for a 116,000 square foot building that is reported by UC Davis to house between 400 and 600 students and would be located between the Primero Grove and Regan student housing sites, currently two parking lots near the northern end of campus.
“When we began discussing this project with UC Davis, we learned that it had to be more 
than just infill housing. It needed to be a catalyst for the future of housing at the UC Davis campus, bringing a balance of innovation, program space, and sense of cohesion and connection to campus, so we focused on those aspects in our design,” said Jeff Fuller, Project Director at McCarthy.
“Working collaboratively with McCarthy, we were able to design a new model for first-year housing that increases density, while knitting together the Segundo neighborhood, and maximizing space for the community building that is so essential to student success,” said Sandy Mendler, Project Director at Gensler.
If construction begins in 2025, the dorms could open for use by the summer of 2027.
The building layout “reflects the active lifestyle of UC Davis students, including ample bike parking to accommodate the university’s bike-friendly culture.”
The residential arrangement will reportedly feature clusters of eight rooms sharing all-gender restrooms, study nooks and lounges to foster a community-oriented living space.
Additional amenities include a demonstration kitchen, Zoom rooms, outdoor gathering areas, on-site laundry, and various support facilities to enhance the student living experience.
“The Segundo Infill Housing will become the standard for student housing on campus in the future. Our team’s design solutions offer a productive yet welcoming experience for students who are looking to embrace campus life through its enriching indoor and outdoor spaces, celebration of the UC Davis bike culture and activation of the pedestrian promenade,” said Dawn Bertolani, business development manager at McCarthy Northern Pacific.
Infill? For UC Davis I guess….but it’s not like UCD was going to annex more land for housing anyway.
The city of Davis better get on the ball and start pushing for more student focused retail and entertainment next to UCD (and mixed use housing). I’ve advocated for student quarter in the past. Because sooner or later UCD is going to figure out that they can put in their own commercial retail to service their students and keep all the sales tax revenue. Imagine students venturing out less and less into the city of Davis and spending their beer, burritos and boba money somewhere else.
Agreed. I hope the updated University Mall can fill some of that. The 3rd and A corridor is another opportunity that has been underperforming.
The 1961 Core Area Specific Plan envisioned the area between A and B Streets, and 1st to 5th Sts (now Russell Blvd) as the preferred region for high rise student housing, specifically because it would put the students immediately adjacent to the core area shopping district. Congratulations on your seeing the wisdom of a 60 year-old idea.
Oh, no, no, no….I would like to segregate the student quarter from the rest of the downtown. Create their own area for retail, food and entertainment (entertainment venues are important) and affordable (likely student) housing in a mixed use mini-urban area. I’m thinking the outskirts of Russell Blvd. I suppose the area around A & B streets could work but I think it might get too congested around the existing downtown. My goal is to bring in outsiders to the area to spend money. If there’s one thing young people like to do it’s get together and socialize; you could draw Sac State and other surrounding college kids to Davis for entertainment to spend their beer money to socialize with the UCD kids. The outskirts of Russell has the 113 on/off ramp nearby that makes it more easily accessible by out of towners.