2023 Southern California Best Projects
Award of Merit - Specialty Construction: California State University, Fullerton, The Suites Student Housing
Photo courtesy Sundt Construction
California State University, Fullerton, The Suites Student Housing
Fullerton, Calif.
Award of Merit
Submitted by: Sundt Construction Inc.
Owner: California State University, Fullerton
Lead Design Firm: HMC
General Contractor: Sundt Construction
Civil Engineer: Psomas
Structural Engineer: Saiful Bouquet Structural Engineers
MEP Engineer: MA Engineers
Electrical Engineer: ME Engineers
Subcontractors: A.O. Reed; Ace Fence; Allflat Concrete Profiling dba Allflat Consulting; Andtrac Inc.; ASM Construction Inc.; Atlas Construction Supply Inc.; Bali Construction Inc.; Bishop Paul L; BMP Contractors Inc.; Borbon Inc.; Buchanan Co. Inc.; California Sheet Metal Works Inc.; Cemex; Commercial Scaffolding of California Inc.; Costa Azul Contracting Group dba Costa; Courtney Inc.; Craig Consulting; Crew Inc.; Design Space Modular Buildings; Foundation Service Corp.; Gatehouse MSI LLC; H2 Environmental Consulting Services Inc.; Haxton Masonry Inc.; Inland Pacific Tile Inc.; ISEC Inc.; M S Rouse Co.; Maron & Assoc.; Millennium Fire Protection Corp.; Mr. Crane; National Concrete Washout Inc.; Nevell Group Inc.; Northstar Contracting Group Inc fka LVI; Pacific Steel Group; Park West Rescom Inc.; Penhall Co.; Plumbing Piping & Construction Inc.; Preferred Ceilings Inc.; Priority RN Nursing Services APC; Psomas; Rosendin Electric Inc.; Sign Age Identity Systems Inc.; SJ General Building Maintenance Inc.; So Cal Sanitation; Stabilis Inc.; Superior Wall Systems Inc.; T & H Interior Services Inc.; T B Penick & Sons Inc.; ThyssenKrupp Elevator; Tractel Inc. fna Tractel Ltd.; Veterans Engineering Services Inc.; Vision Systems Inc.; Vorwaller & Brooks Inc.; West Coast Iron Inc.; Western Concrete Pumping Inc.
A 185,000-sq-ft housing project aims to provide age-appropriate accommodations for second- and third-year students at the rapidly expanding CSU Fullerton campus.
Scope of work included a ground-level podium and five upper levels of resident suites to house 615 students, resident advisers and staff residents.
Completed in August 2022, the building has two northern wings and a single southern wing connected by a physical and social connecting bridge at each upper level. To connect the project to the rest of campus, the building design continued the campus’ mid-century aesthetic and geometric design. This architectural motif is found in the geometry of the building’s facade, the pattern of the multipurpose room ceiling and the design of the wall features throughout the building.
Ensuring that the building would last and also be easy to maintain was crucial. A durable post-tensioned concrete structural system was chosen along with easy to maintain and operate HVAC systems, providing long-term life cycle cost savings for the university.
