TCA Architects

SDCCD Affordable Student Housing

tcaeditor - Nov 13, 2025

The City College Affordable Student Housing project addresses the need of the San Diego Community College District for affordable student housing. The development replaces a vacant urban block with a 7-story building of 283 units (797 beds). The student housing program offers a mix of unit types including studios, 2-bedroom apartments, and 4-bedroom suites and apartments. Shared amenities that promote socialization and academic support are concentrated on the ground floor; each level shares a laundry room, study space, and vending lounge. The top level features an indoor sky lounge with views of the city. Green street design elements contribute to a walkable community that connects to the adjacent campus. Two courtyards provide outdoor socialization space for the students while indoor ground floor amenities activate the street front. DSA will conduct the plan check review, and the project team is using the informal collaborative process to engage DSA and solicit their feedback during the design and documentation phases.

ORCHARD PARK STUDENT HOUSING

tcaeditor - Oct 10, 2024

Orchard Park marries the rigor of the Prescient system with the playful, organic nature of a field of trees. The 19-acre site at UC Davis is a community of 11 graduate and family residential buildings and 2 amenity buildings. TCA designed the buildings to incorporate Prescient, a panelized light-gauge metal framing structural system. With an on-site assembly process, Prescient enabled the entire project to be built faster and with fewer costly on-site modifications. The TCA team embraced the efficiency of only 3 building types and oriented the buildings to introduce variety as they are nestled among the Heritage trees sprinkled throughout the site. The two unique and playful community buildings activate the site’s open space while blurring the line between indoor and outdoor space. The family community building, The Treehouse, features a CLT roof, with an exposed wood ceiling. This mass timber feature combined with interior design by TCA’s Interiors Studio, embraces the organic themes of the community and creates a strong connection to nature. Orchard Park’s residential buildings achieve LEED Platinum certification.

CSUMB Master Plan Concept

tcaeditor - Sep 16, 2023

The CSUMB 2nd Avenue master plan achieves the Client’s and University’s design goals for a socially vibrant, wellness-focused community that is integrated with nature. The 72-acre development opportunity is located a half mile from the ocean and just adjacent to the CSU Monterey Bay campus. The largely undeveloped site with existing sporadic development presents an opportunity for a mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development, ranging in market rate residential, to senior and family affordable housing. The Client and CSUMB envisioned a supportive community to the university and surrounding area. The concept starts with restorative design by transforming the asphalt parking lot into an active, pedestrian friendly community with housing for all ages. The existing Cypress Grove is preserved for its natural beauty and contribution to identity of place. To complement the natural beauty of the site, the architectural and landscape design will create beautiful spaces that the community will cherish. The grading of the property influenced vehicular/pedestrian circulation, along with the preservation of cypress groves.

Orchard Park Interiors

tcaeditor - Aug 05, 2023

Orchard Park is a student housing project located at UC Davis. The interior design consisted of residential design including common areas, corridors and units. The scope also included two community buildings. This project was unique in that there are two separate housing components – graduate and family housing. This along with the architecture led to the evolution of two different concepts that would co-exist on the property. The graduate concept being “greenhouse vibes” – a fun and eclectic vibe, with medium wood tones, industrial metals, mix of indoor/outdoor furniture set against an A-frame backdrop. The family concept was coined “the treehouse” to playfully create an experience for adults and children. This concept had a strong wood component, highlighting shades of green, tree forms as inspiration and hammock details in the furniture. Overall the project design intent has a vernacular and indoor/outdoor feel to connect with its location. Also to be playful, modern and approachable for the residents to enjoy.

ADDISON

TCA Architect - Jul 21, 2023

Addison is a seven-story, 107 unit apartment project in the Arts District of downtown Berkeley, California. Drawing upon the property’s location in the heart of the Arts District of Berkeley, CA, the building features a ‘Poetry Garage Door’, a collaboration between a local poet and artisan, that pays homage to the celebrated “Berkeley Poetry Walk” one block east on Addison Street. The ‘Poetry Garage Door’ is crafted from laser-cut, backlit, metal letters that completely fill the entryway with the poet’s verses. The site is within walking distance of UC Berkeley and Berkeley City College, BART, shops, restaurants, bars, and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. The project is the first double podium, “5 over 2” project in Berkeley. Addison’s street frontage is made active by resident amenities, highly visible from the sidewalk and framed by storefront scaled openings. The roof deck and upper residential levels have spectacular views of San Francisco Bay. Unique features of Addison’s sustainable design include a panelized rain screen and rainwater cistern that provides water to the dog wash; and a puzzle lift auto park system that can more densely accommodate up to 68 vehicles.