When the University of California, Santa Cruz chose a 69-space parking lot and Redwood-covered hilltop for the location of a new 500 stall campus parking structure, there were formidable obstacles to overcome.
Located on Science Hill, the structure is entirely cast-in-place concrete, which ties it visually to the other large buildings in the area. Pedestrian and vehicle bridges provide access to the campus over hilly terrain.
The final design responds to the sloping site and attempts to minimize the impact to the natural environment by modifying the floor plate and incorporating a cantilevered perimeter to save the surrounding trees.
Watry Design developed a combination of open and closed rails around the façade to showcase the outside spectacular environment.
This project won the 2002 IPI Award of Excellence, 2002 CRSI Award and 2001 American Concrete Institute Award.
Project Details
- Owner: University of California, Santa Cruz
- Design Architect: EHDD Architects
- Contractor: S. J. Amoroso
- Project Status: Completed 2001
- Parking Stalls: 493
- Levels: 6
- Total Sq Ft: 178,800
- Sq Ft per Stall: $19,988
- Total Project Cost: $9,854,000
- Per Stall Cost: 363
