UC Santa Cruz Kresge College Renewal

Kresge College has long represented a community of independent thinkers with its experimental merging of academic, social, and environmental spaces. Its hallmark 1970s architecture includes skewed angles, piazzas, and a pedestrian bridge through a redwood grove. As structures near the end of their lifespans, UC Santa Cruz has invested in a phased renewal program to sustainably carry Kresge into the 21st century. Kresge’s revitalization includes some of the first completed mass timber student housing in the United States.

Four mass timber additions underscore connection with the forest and campus community. These include three five-story residence halls with 400 beds and a curvilinear three-story academic center. Construction showcases CLT floor and roof diaphragms over glulam beams, light-frame walls, and concrete podiums. The next phase is refurbishing and reprogramming 12 buildings. Through Design-Build delivery, Holmes provided overall fire and life safety code consulting as well as structural engineering of the mass timber components. Kresge targets LEED Silver certification, built to exceed California energy efficiency codes.

During construction documentation, the project team sought a more proactive fire and life safety consultant: Swinerton selected Holmes for our responsiveness and ability to perform design reviews under tight scheduling. Holmes provided a swift code-based analysis for compliance with an emphasis on egress, fire ratings for assembly spaces, and input on buildable construction types. Code consulting moved mass timber designs through permitting and construction.

Holmes was also brought on by Swinerton as Specialty Structural Engineer of Record for the mass timber elements. Structural engineers and fire engineers collaborated to maintain optimal mass timber exposure throughout the additions. Solutions showcase the warmth of wood pairing Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) diaphragms with glulam beams and columns. All additions achieved the required fire ratings and are designed to maintain structural integrity after fire-induced char.

Structurally, Holmes designed CLT-paneled roofs, floors, glulam beams and columns for a cohesive campus feel. Careful detailing minimizes beam-to-column and column-to-floor connections. The use of hidden fasteners casts the illusion of floating columns. For beam-to-column connections, Ricon connections recess into the beam concealing hardware. Base connections were drilled underneath the column and grouted to a rod, fixed to the floor with gypcrete encasing the column. Glazing attachments directly point back to the timber structure. More broadly, Holmes accommodated curving forms that spark architectural interest and minimized the removal of redwood trees.