South Village Student Housing
Promoting Student Wellness in the Freshman Residential Community
California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), nationally recognized for advancing social mobility, has made student success a defining mission. A critical part of that mission is improving graduation rates, particularly for first-generation and diverse students who benefit most from a strong residential experience. To support this goal, CSULA partnered with HED to design South Village, a new student housing development that provides 1,500 freshman beds and establishes a true “freshman experience” on campus for the first time.
South Village was conceived as more than a place to live. It is a community intentionally structured to foster belonging, connection, and engagement—three factors shown to improve retention and graduation outcomes. Organized as a village of smaller neighborhoods, each floor brings students together in community clusters supported by shared spaces. Gender-inclusive bathrooms and a mix of double and triple bedrooms create equity and choice, while bright, park-facing lounges on each floor serve as gathering points, encouraging interaction and collaboration.
The design integrates housing with a wide range of shared amenities, supporting both daily life and academic growth. Ground-floor spaces include dining facilities, a convenience store, classrooms, administrative offices, and student life offices. A fitness center, study areas, and lounges are distributed throughout the building, offering multiple environments for students to study, socialize, and recharge. Faculty and staff apartments within the complex further strengthen the sense of support and mentorship woven into the student experience.
Physically, the 8-story development is arranged as three distinct towers, each with its own identity and long-range views to the surrounding mountains—the San Gabriel, San Rafael, and Temecula Mountains. These towers wrap around a central park that serves as the heart of the community. The design creates a sense of openness and connection to the natural landscape, while abundant daylight and glass-filled common areas provide bright, inviting environments. Circulation paths and ground-level amenities activate the adjacent outdoor spaces, weaving the development into the larger campus.
The building also addresses a challenging hillside site. A carefully designed stair, elevator, and bridge system provide accessible, equitable connections between South Village and the main academic campus above. This integration keeps student housing fully connected to academic and social life at CSULA rather than isolated.
Delivered through a collaborative design-build approach, the project balanced programmatic needs, budget, and schedule, resulting in a vibrant living-learning environment completed on time and within cost. The project has been widely recognized, receiving a 2023 DBIA-Western Pacific Region Design Build Award and a 2022 CMAA Southern California Chapter Project Achievement Award.
South Village is a campus landmark that provides students with a supportive, engaging place to live, learn, and grow—an investment in the success of every first-year student at CSULA.
