Located on the northwest side of the UC Davis campus, the $217-million Orchard Park is a student housing community that offers affordable and sustainable housing options. Eight graduate student buildings feature 700 beds, while three family buildings provide 200 affordable two-bedroom units for students with families. Completed under budget and ahead of schedule in August 2023, the LEED Platinum community also features six solar arrays across the three single-story community buildings, generating 1 million kW of power during the first year of operations.

The design process began by considering the connection between Orchard Park and the larger UC Davis campus. Interconnected pedestrian and bicycle pathways like the Davis Bike Loop travel through the development. To facilitate access to a low-stress route into the main parts of campus, the design team incorporated one bike rack for every bed.

Photo by Vincent Ivicevic

For each building, the project team utilized a panelized light-gauge metal framing structural system on slab, helping speed the construction process with fewer costly onsite modifications and reducing costs during construction, which helped translate into lower rents for residents. With several components of the residential buildings manufactured off site, the framing process only took five weeks—about half the amount of time it takes to complete framing for wood frame construction.

Construction began mid-pandemic in May 2021, so before breaking ground, the project team established performance criteria for all parties and prequalified trade partners to streamline the contracting and procurement process. Materials and systems were preselected and ordered early, saving money and avoiding delays.

One challenge identified during preconstruction was the presence of heritage oak cork trees across the site. To preserve the existing trees, the contractor established tree preservation zones with post-driven fencing to segregate construction activities. All these zones included gates so the trees could be accessed for regular maintenance and monthly inspections by campus and third-party arborists. The trees also inspired the community’s layout, which is organic rather than a traditional grid system.