University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) has a plan to increase student housing across its campus by 2029. The lofty goal is already underway, last March SOM and Mithun shared conceptual renderings for San Benito Student Housing, new dormitories that will deliver 2,200 student units across seven buildings, on a hilly 6-acre site. Now, SOM, Mithun, and OLIN shared the latest iteration of the project, located at the corner of Mesa and Stadium Roads in San Benito County. The ensemble takes advantage of the area’s climate and geography, channeling natural airflow patterns, the designers shared, by creating site-wide breezeways through a collection of slender residential bars and ground-level courtyards. The residential bars are positioned to capture stunning views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. (SOM/Mithun) The seven buildings range between 3 and 8 stories, and comprise a total 721,000 square feet. A central pedestrian promenade, what the team calls The Connector, stitches the seven buildings together through a series of bridges and terraces that offer stunning views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The site has a 20-foot grade change, so the design team ideated a 2-story plinth that anchors the residential buildings, programmed with various student life amenities such as a market, lounges, and other uses. The program is broken up into seven buildings across the 6-acre site. (SOM/Mithun) The Student Center will have a sawtooth profile and generous clerestories. (SOM/Mithun) A sawtooth canopy and large clerestory windows define the Student Center and maximize natural light into the deep space, designers continued. Each of the buildings are intentionally staggered to capture natural light, ocean breezes, and northward views of the Goleta Slough and coastal range. A network of pathways connects the seven buildings and the courtyard spaces between them. OLIN is the landscape architect on the project. The courtyards welcome a variety of uses, such as picnics, yoga, and studying. The textured facades which face the courtyard, light-colored precast concrete, reduce heat gain and reflect natural light back into the interior spaces. Colored paneling on the exterior of each of the buildings will demarcate one residence hall from another, as a means of wayfinding. The access circulation is large exterior stairwells wrapped in perforated aluminum screens. The dorms will come in a variety of configurations. (SOM/Mithun) Dormitory layouts will come in various configurations, ranging between singles to double quads. Residents will have access to shared communal spaces as well. Architects are targeting LEED Platinum certification. San Benito Student Housing is slated for completion in fall 2027.