The Charles David Keeling Apartments are located on the southwestern edge of the University of California, San Diego, campus overlooking the coastal cliffs of La Jolla. Named for the American scientist whose research first alerted the world to the possibility of the human impact on global warming, the Apartments are themed around the concept of global warming and the urgency of conservation of natural resources. They are part of Revelle College, the founding college at UC San Diego named for Roger Revelle, one of the first scientists to study global warming, and are developed to enhance Revelle's place at the historic campus core. Three cast-in-place concrete structures—one 10-story, one 8-story, and one 5-story—are oriented for optimal environmental performance in San Diego’s ideal climate. They provide housing for 516 students and 2 deans in 85 six-person apartments. The complex also includes lounges and meeting rooms, a landscaped courtyard, green roof terrace, and extensive outdoor walkways to promote social interaction and outdoor living. The apartments are arranged along a single-loaded exterior corridor so that each space within the unit receives abundant daylight, natural ventilation, and views. The design bears familial relationships with the buildings of Revelle, which consist of 1950s cast-in-place concrete structures that often have a sense of transparency at the base and exterior elevated walkways that allow for free flow of pedestrian traffic, sun and breezes. Many of the buildings share a lace-like quality from the use of repetitive elements, with a color palette tied to San Diego’s warm and dry coastal climate. Together with the recent renovation of the adjacent Fleet residence halls, Revelle college is now more unified with old and new structures that create shared spaces and define the west edge of the campus. The exterior is clad with precast concrete panels, hung in front of the structure as rain screens. The layering of the structure, window and rain screen systems creates visual depth in the facade that varies throughout the day as lighting conditions change. Solar heat gain is controlled with deep overhangs shading the southern facades and vertical shading devices on the west, oriented at different angles, blocking strong afternoon sun. Storm water is managed with a green roof, biofiltration swale and landscaping and water is conserved through the collection and treatment of gray water for irrigation, efficient plumbing fixtures, and water efficient planting. A photovoltaic array provides solar energy in the building, and energy is conserved by using a high performance exterior envelope and optimizing day lighting and ventilation. The project seeks to outperform Title 24 (California Energy Code) by at least 35%, and is expected to minimally earn LEED Gold, and potentially a Platinum rating for environmentally conscious design and sustainability.Construction will be complete in Fall 2011 with full occupancy in September.

Project Information

Project Address: 

University of California, San Diego University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093

Project Owner/ Developer: 

University of California, San Diego

Owner Contact Name/ Email: 

Charles S. Kaminski / ckaminski@ucsd.edu

Project Architect/ Designer: 

KieranTimberlake

Image