A Deep Dive Into the Development and Design of Sixth College
Sixth College, UCSD’s newest living and learning community, boasts an infrastructure that combines sustainability and community. How does Sixth’s design support these claims? In what ways could it be better?
Written by Marie Vaughan
Awards:
Sixth College, otherwise known as North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood (NTPLLN), has received two awards for bringing San Diego closer to reaching its climate, water, waste, and energy goals.
LEED BD+C Registered Built Merit Award
NTPLLN is one of only 3,800 buildings worldwide to receive a Platinum Certification. (As of July 2021, UC San Diego has 48 total LEED Certified buildings, with 4 of them receiving Platinum Certification.)
What does it mean for a building to be LEED Certified?
LEED is a green building rating system used around the world to determine how much a building “saves money, improves efficiency, lowers carbon emissions and creates healthier places for people” (usgbc.org).
Most Efficient EUI Built Merit Award
Recognizes the NTPLLN as achieving a highly efficient Energy Use Intensity when compared to national median values.
Architecture/ Design:
The East/ West facing orientation of the NTPLLN provides solar benefits and its building massing captures ocean breezes.
Integrates mixed-use environments that are pedestrian friendly with a “main street” (Scholars Drive) and rooftop terraces
Promotes alternative transportation by providing a commuter lounge, convenient bike parking, and storage areas
People:
UCSD Students/ Faculty/ Staff/ Visitors
Sixth College was designed with community and student life in mind - Scholars Drive (the main road crossing through Sixth for drivers) can be closed for festivals and other events since the parking structure provides an alternative path for campus transit
The neighborhood includes a market, multiple restaurants, a coffee shop, and a dining hall
Parking is placed underground to prioritize pedestrians
Design includes a Craft Center to connect the campus and community
What about the Construction Workers?
For this neighborhood to be considered truly people-centered, we must consider those who spent long hours constructing it for all of us to enjoy.
A livable wage?
The average Clark Construction Group (The company hired to complete the North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood) has an approximate hourly pay of $23 per hour for a Summer Associate and 67K a year for an entry level civil engineer. While this may be sufficient to live comfortably in other cities, the cost of living in San Diego is 44% higher than the national average and is the 14th most expensive city in the nation.
Dangerous Work
A reinforced steel frame struck 32-year-old-father and construction worker, Sergio Cruz, which killed him and injured four others. All of the injured construction workers were employees of Clark Construction. Clark Construction insists that safety is the company’s top priority.
Conclusion:
It is clear that Sixth College (North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood) was designed with sustainability as a priority. With its top tier LEED rating and community-centered approach, it is easy to say that this neighborhood sets an example for how future projects should be constructed. However, a people-first mentality needs to be integrated even at the construction stage. No life is worth endangering or losing for the development of this community.
Sources:
https://www.geraldbrodylaw.com/blog/ucsd-construction-worker-killed