Developed in collaboration with students, the new space creates a “home away from home” with facilities and amenities that will serve the campus for years to come.
The new Otter Student Union (OSU) at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) weaves together the fabric of the campus community and provides a comfortable, living room-like atmosphere for the university’s diverse student population. Situated on a pivotal corner of campus, the OSU serves as both a gateway and a connector between previously disjointed areas of the campus, as it spans multiple levels across the dunes of the CSUMB grounds. The more than 70,000-square-foot building creates a vibrant pedestrian and transit hub for the entire campus and fills a previous void, both spatially and programmatically.
STUDENT-DRIVEN DESIGN
As one of the California State University system’s newest and most rural schools, CSUMB was in need of a facility that would both anchor the campus and provide a sense of place for students. The $55 million project was inherently collaborative in nature, starting from its inception in 2014 when CSUMB students voted to build a new student union partially using funds from their own school fees. There was strong student involvement throughout the entire process, including a student committee that initially selected the project team for delivery under a design-build model with HGA as the architect of record and Gilbane as the general contractor.
The committee identified a number of key goals for the new OSU, primarily that it be an inclusive and safe environment where students can convene to socialize, collaborate and study under one roof. With few off-campus rental housing options in the area, residences on campus are vital to student life and, as such, so are spaces supportive of those living on campus. Embracing the holistic approach to learning for which CSUMB is known, the project team sought to create a space that connected students from all backgrounds and allowed for new capacity to cater to a wide range of student needs and interests, ultimately creating an equitable and versatile backdrop for student life.
KEY SPACES IN THE OSU
The new, three-story building houses a number of formal and informal gathering spaces tailored to the CSUMB student population including:
- The versatile, 6,000-square-foot OSU Ballroom, reservable for both campus and community events thereby providing additional revenue streams for the university;
- Forager’s Cove, now one of CSUMB’s largest dining areas, where students can choose from a variety of food options and enjoy their meals in restaurant-style booths or accessible tables with colorful, eye-catching seating;
- A new campus store where students can get their textbooks and Otter swag;
- A Starbucks, featuring an abundance of comfortable seating and a long bar;
- The Sea Store which meets students’ convenience needs, from school supplies to a quick bite;
- The Rookery game room and lounge for students complete with pool tables, pingpong and video games;
- Conference rooms—aptly named Grape, Strawberry and Artichoke for foods that can be found growing in the Salinas Valley—ranging from 400- to 700-square-feet and designed to host club meetings and smaller events;
- Office space for critical campus organizations including the Otter Cross-Cultural Center, Associated Students, Student Engagement & Leadership Development and First Year Experience;
- A spacious lobby lit by natural light streaming through stained glass including the information desk, plenty of lounge seating with hidden nooks for private studying and giant wooden steps with electrical outlets to charge devices;
- A welcoming outdoor grand terrace with podium stairs;
- A meditation room clear of furniture or distractions that provides an area to pray, reflect or relax; and
- Additional spaces including a nursing room that is a quiet, intimate space in a clean, private location as well as gender-neutral restrooms.
MANAGING THE SITE
HGA and Gilbane navigated unique challenges throughout the project, including CSUMB’s coastal climate with highly corrosive year-round fog. The site itself posed some major topographic and grading challenges as well with approximately 24 feet of elevation change. The building’s design took advantage of the height difference by creating two “ground floor” entrances over two levels—one on the Inter-Garrison Road level and one on the Main Quad level.
Additionally, building siting captures sustainability best practices, maximizing natural daylighting and shading with a design that yields a symbiosis of indoor and outdoor gathering space and provides a welcoming transition from the Main Quad. Natural cross-ventilation opportunities were created by reducing the building depth and forming a “U” shape building footprint.
Considering the site, HGA and Gilbane took a true boots-on-the-ground approach to construction administration, as HGA worked with the builders in the field to ensure the design intent was carried through to completion. With the use of BIM throughout design and construction, the design-build partners were better able to identify and solve potential issues before they arose in the field which resulted in greater efficiency.
The building is now targeting LEED Silver with the possibility of achieving LEED Gold status. The OSU project was also recently recognized with an Award of Merit in ENR California’s 2021 Best Projects.
CSUMB is one of a number of California State Universities that HGA has partnered with in recent history. Notably, the firm has completed projects for CSU Dominguez Hills and CSU Northridge and is currently engaged in additional CSU projects which will be completed in the coming years.